The Apprentice Vampire Hunters
by RangerDeon
Summary: After a small village is attacked by the undead, the young apprentice, Kahn Marley, is sent, with the help of the DeVille twins, to investigate their sudden appearance in Northeastern Harmonia.
1. Chapter 1: The Attack on Wiese

_Author's Note: Hi Suikoden fans! I've noticed that there was a severe lack of anything regarding Kahn Marley, so I've decided to rectify that by writing a story about when he was an apprentice under his father. There's hardly any details on Harmonia so I had to make some locations up. I apologize for that. This is my very first fic so I really hope you like it! :)_

Chapter 1  
The Attack on Wiese

It was a beautiful night; the sky empty of clouds but full of stars. It was the kind of night one would lie on their back in the grass, connecting the dots of luminous spheres that lit up the night sky; peaceful and quiet. The creaking sound coming from the wheels of the canvas-topped horse-drawn wagons broke the silence. There were three of them in a single-file line, each with two horses guiding them down the unpaved roads. The leading wagon was midsized and the driver, a mustached man, sat on the wooden front-faced bench, clutching the leather reins. The inside housed two wooden benches that stretched along the left and right side of the wagon platform. A middle-aged blond haired blue eyed man sat forward on the bench, resting his hands on his lap, on the right side next to a middle aged woman; they both were dressed in long black trench coats. A young man, also blond, was stretched out on the left-side bench, mouth wide open, fast asleep and snoring loudly.

Kahn Marley was a nineteen year old apprentice vampire hunter under his father, the very man sitting across from him. The Marley family had been vampire hunters for centuries and Kahn wanted to be recognized as an official hunter, but he had a long ways to go. A gentle bump in the road interrupted his slumber, waking him up. He slowly started to regain consciousness, unaware of his surroundings, clouded by a blurry vision. "Hey!" He heard a familiar voice, "Wake up, we'll be arriving shortly." He sat up as his eyes slowly became accustomed to the darkness, and when they were clear he saw his father staring at him through the rims of his glasses. He stretched his arms and let out a light moan as he loosened the stiffness in his back.

"You got a little…" The woman spoke and she gestured her hand to her chin, hinting to Kahn to wipe the drool that escaped during his sleep. Embarrassed, he took the hint and did just that, letting out a small breathless laugh. He stood up as much as he could and made his way to the back of the wagon, it was a short walk and he stuck his head out of the canvas cover and looked up at the sky.

"When did it get this late?"

"You've been sleeping for five hours." The woman mocked.

"Well you know me," he chuckled, "I can never stay awake in these things." He yawned and sat back down, facing his father. "So…" he started, pushing his blond hair away from his face, "you ever plan on telling me where we're going?"

His father sat back, crossed his legs and began briefing him, "We're headed for Wiese."

"Wiese?" a confused Kahn interrupted.

"It's a small village," the woman answered, "known for its grassy, crop fields."

"A messenger arrived in Crystal Valley earlier this morning," his father continued, "with word of a zombie sighting outside of Wiese. If we're lucky we'll find a straggler or two that'll lead us to a nest."

"And if we're unlucky?" Kahn asked while the hat on his head.

"…We'll find a horde." His father answered, troubled.

Kahn sat back and lowered his head. He closed his eyes and sighed, wondering which route he preferred: the lucky or unlucky. He wanted action, but not at the expense of the villagers. He had field experience before, sure, but now that there were so few of them left he knew that whatever action they saw he'd have a chance to be in the thick of it. The wagon suddenly stopped, pulling him back to reality and he jerked his head up and quickly turned his attention to the driver.

"Hey!" His father shouted, tapping on the driver's seat, "Why did we stop?"

"You might want to see this, sir." The mustached man said nervously, looking back at his passengers who could see the fear in his eyes. The three of them exited the wagon, the woman first followed by Kahn then his father. When they reached the front of the wagon, they each stopped dead in their tracks; eyes wide open, mouth ajar, amazed and terrified by what they were witnessing. They sky lit by the fires that consumed the small grassy village of Wiese.

Kahn sharply exhaled, "So…" he started, slowly turning towards his father, "I guess we were unlucky after all, huh?"

His father didn't respond; for a moment he was lost in the beauty of the flames and frightened by meaning of its presence. "Get your things." He said without taking his eyes off of the view.

"Yes, sir." Kahn replied respectfully as he rushed back to the wagon, grabbed his trench coat and put it over his black collared shirt. He outfitted a brown crossbow with a leather strap that wrapped across his shoulder as he walked back towards his father who was now joined by the entire crew of hunters. "So, what's the plan?" Kahn asked as he walked towards them, buttoning up his trench coat.

"We'll make our way into the village, killing any and everything moaning while grabbing at you. And you," he turned to Kahn, "you're to use our distraction to locate and escort any survivors out of the village."

"W-wait –" Kahn jerked forward as if he intended to grab his father's arm, but he stopped midway, "you mean I'm not helping you fight?" He raised his eyes to meet his father's, they were the eyes of someone disappointed and desperate.

"You're a part of a team now," he responded, "and in a team everyone has a role. Yours tonight is escorting any survivors to safety."

"But, I –"

"If you want to be recognized as a hunter you have to understand the importance of priorities. Fighting isn't the only thing us hunters do, and right now the most important thing is to help those who have survived." His response was stern like a military commander giving orders, but there was also a hint of gentleness like a father would be to his son in an attempt to convince him not to willingly throw himself in harm's way.

"Y-Yes, sir." Kahn lowered his head, accepting his fate and no longer putting up a fight.

His father turned back around towards the group of men and women, with his crossbow in his hand, and began his short speech, "The rest of us will split up into two teams: The first team will follow me into the village. The rest of you will wait out here and guard entrance. Any stragglers slip through the cracks you will take them out. I also need you here in case any survivors make it out. You have you orders, let's move out!" He raised his crossbow into the air and the men and women did the same before splitting up – some following him into the village and the others fortifying the entrance. Kahn stood still for a moment, head down and disappointed, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before entering the village behind them.

-o0o-

The flames were intense, but they were not as chaotic as he imagined. Kahn looked around, analyzing his surroundings, and estimated that less than sixty percent of the village was ablaze, but there were still structures that held and paths left unscathed giving him hope that maybe there were some who have survived this carnage. Kahn carefully made his way to the village's residential area. Most of the wooden homes were already consumed by the fires, and those that weren't were soon to be. He could hear the battle cries of the hunters in the distance, the sound of arrows firing from their crossbows and steel meeting flesh, but where he stood was silent; the only thing disrupting the silence was the crackling of the fire on the burning wood. Suddenly, however, a tree branch cracked. The sound echoing in his mind, disrupting the norm; he was not alone. He quickly turned around and checked behind him, nothing was there. Other than the burning homes and trees and the presence of corpses that were once human beings, there was nothing there at all. He turned back around and faced an old schoolyard; or at least what was once a schoolyard.

There! He saw it, the culprits behind the disruption. There were four zombies stumbling towards the burning school building; they were at a distance from him, unaware of his presence. Kahn could have continued searching for survivors in the neighborhood safely without attracting their attention, but he didn't want to take that chance. That's at least what he would have said have he'd been caught; in reality he wanted a fight and how dangerous could four zombies be? He dashed towards them, clutching his crossbow at his chest. It was time to fight. The four zombies reached the old schoolyard, but did not enter. They gathered around as if waiting for orders, but those orders never came. A sudden arrow pierced through the head of the middle most zombie, and the other three turned in Kahn's direction, confused but excited, certain that it was meal time.

Kahn tossed the crossbow behind him and the leather strap around his shoulder caused it to fall on his back for later use. He unsheathed his double edged short sword that was concealed by his large trench coat and charged them. A zombie that was once a young male went down first. He charged towards Kahn eagerly while the other two hesitated. Kahn dodged its attempt to claw at his face and countered by slicing him in half. The other two charged simultaneously, but Kahn rolled backwards and tossed two scrolls them; one attaching to each of their foreheads. The zombies both stopped and their soulless eyes slowly elevated up towards the scrolls attached to their faces. A snap of Kahn's finger caused both scrolls to ignite in a fiery explosion.

He sheathed his sword and grinned, basking in his victory. But it was because of his silent gloating that he did not notice the floating demon, the sorcerer, emerging from the ground; its dark hair and purple robe flowed seamlessly in the light breeze. It raised its hands above its head and began conjuring a ball of fire. Kahn could feel the heat on his neck and his grin quickly faded and he became frightened. Time slowed down for him at this moment as he slowly turned around, eyes widen by terror, to see the floating, humanoid demon before him. It was too late for him to react, his sword was sheathed, his scrolls were in his pocket, and the demon was seconds away from burning him alive. The only thing he could do was raise his arms to his face in defense, but that wouldn't work and he knew it.

It was then that he saw something out of the corner of his eye. His hero in the shape of a woman swooped down and attacked the magical demon with a series of thrusts with her silver rapier. After the attack she landed behind it on her knees but quickly recovered and went in for the final blow. Fire emitted from the blade of her sword as she sliced right through its body, cutting it in half. It let out a desperate cry as both halves of its body dissolved into thin air. She sheathed her weapon and turned towards Kahn; she was beautiful, and through his eyes her beauty was multiplied times a hundred. She was dark skinned and her long curly black hair fell slightly below her shoulders. She wore a black blouse with the bust area held shut by a ribbon and her dark gray trousers were tucked into black, long riding boots. Kahn simply couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"You should be more careful." She warned him, her voice was music to his ears and welcomed. "Those things will sneak up on you."

"I'd like to thank you, but I didn't catch you name." He flirted.

"My name is Marceline DeVille, and this was my home. And who are you and what exactly are you doing here?"

"The name's Kahn Marley, I'm a hunter – well apprentice." He bragged as he extended his hand out towards her. She wasn't impressed, but she met his hand to shake it, but he had other intentions. He raised her hand towards his mouth to kiss it, "It's a pleasure –"

"Save your pleasantries for when we're out of here." She took her hand back before he could. "Have you encountered any survivors?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." He shot back.

"Dammit…" She said out loud but to no one in particular. She rested her chin on her fist as she thought about what all of this meant. And just as quickly, she started for the burning school building but was stopped by the protesting Marley.

"Wait a minute! Where are you going!?" He yelled out to her.

"I'm going to find my family." She started for the school again.

"What makes you think they're still alive?" He retorted without thinking. His question, or the way he asked it, caused her to abruptly stop and she slowly turned back towards him, her eyes frightened him and he immediately regretted saying that.

"I see the hunters neglected to train you in the art of manners and sensitivity."

"I'm sorry, I truly am. But look around, three days ago a few zombies turned into what is now an entire army! There is no way anyone could have survived and there's no reason why you should risk your life only to discover that," he gestured towards the school building, "and I'm certainly not going in there!"

With her hand on her hip, she rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh in disbelief, "I don't recall asking you to." Done speaking to him, she turned back towards the school and made her way inside. Kahn stood there for a moment debating whether to join her or not. He smiled to himself, the answer was clear. He ran inside the building behind her.

The two of them walked in silence as they searched the old schoolhouse. The classrooms were intact but the blaze would soon ruin them. Wooden boards that have fallen blocked many paths, but just like the rest of the village, it wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. It was safe, well safe enough for them to search for her family. He kept glancing in her direction as they searched the building, but she didn't notice; she was determined to find her family. Yeah, that's the look she had on her face; determination and fear. "I wonder," Kahn broke the silence, "I understand that they're your family, but why exactly are you so sure that they're alive?" She doesn't respond so he continues, "I mean, the entire village is deserted and there's no sign of life. How are you so sure?" He didn't bother continuing. He was afraid he'd say the wrong thing and he's seen her in action, he did not want to piss her off.

"My brother – my twin brother was with me when I arrived home earlier." The determination in her eyes faded and fear took over completely.

"How long ago since you last saw him?"

"A few hours, not too long before I found you, but I know he isn't dead." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she was less focused on trying to convince Kahn and more on trying to convince herself. "He wouldn't die here, not like this. And if I know my brother he'd have found our family and now I need to find him." Kahn said nothing in return, only nodded in agreement as the two pressed on.

Eventually the two of them came across a zombie corpse. Kahn continued walking, you've seen one you've seen them all, but Marceline stopped. She examined the corpse and recognized its muddied red hair. "Oh my god." She said under hear breath, devastated. The sound of her voice allowed Kahn to realize that she wasn't still walking behind him so he turned back and began walking in her direction. She examined the area surrounding the corpse, first it was the walls; they were scarred. She ran her finger along them, feeling the scars. The floor was the same, but it wasn't caused by the fire, it was a sign of wind magic. As soon as she realized this she let out a small gasp and turned towards the approaching hunter. "Come on! He's in here somewhere!" She yelled as she ran passed him and Kahn quickly following behind her.

In one of the more larger classrooms the fires had consumed most of the room and it was pushing a point where breathing was becoming nearly impossible. A young man lay paralyzed in fear on the floor and a female zombie clutched his neck. He had brown skin a lot like Marceline's. His hair was cut close to his head, nearly not there at all. He wore a white collared shirt underneath a gray jacket; his black trousers were tucked into dark brown knee-high riding boots. His brown eyes widened and his breathing heavy, short, and louder as the zombie zoned in on his neck with its mouth open. "Marcellus!" A familiar voice shattered his paralysis and he looked over at the entryway to see Marceline running in with Kahn not too far behind her. She dashed towards him, kicking the zombie off of her twin brother and extended her hand, offering to help him to his feet.

"Marceline…" His voice was soft and shaky. He didn't accept her help, he only pointed towards the zombie, encouraging Marceline to look at her. When she did and saw that the soulless creature before them she stumbled backwards, caught off guard just as he was once. Kahn looked on in confusion, he didn't know who the woman was but he had his guesses.

"M-mother…?" Marceline said under her breath, her voice cracking. Kahn guessed right, but for the first time he really didn't want to be. He felt for them but she was lost and if they didn't get out of there, they'd be lost too. He readied his crossbow and shot an arrow; it went through her shoulder, but it didn't stop her. He shot another at her leg, she still advanced, so he shot another. Before he could shoot for the fourth time, Marcellus got up and rushed towards him.

"What are you doing!?" He yelled as he forcefully lowered Kahn's crossbow. A frustrated and resolute Kahn shoved him to the side and readied his crossbow once more, but the building was about to give in; and when he looked up the female zombie was also not alone. More zombies had joined her, coming through the window opened due to its shattered glass.

"Dammit…" he said under his breath as he discarded the crossbow and pulled out a handful of scrolls and threw them on the ground in the zombies' path. He grabbed Marceline's hand and she didn't resist, but Marcellus was much more difficult. He didn't want to leave, he believed he could save his mother but it was far too late. He tried to reach for her, but Marceline grabbed him, forcing him to comply as the scrolls exploded. The three of them made it out of the schoolhouse just as it began to crumble.

-o0o-

The hunters set up camp far outside the borders or what was once Wiese, the large tents formed a circle in the grassy meadows in the chilly night. In one tent the twins sat in silence, Marceline still unsure how to comfort her brother who sat on the far end with his head hanging low, looking down in a sort of daze. Kahn entered the tent through the cloth door and the sight of him infuriated the male twin. "How are you guys holding up?" Kahn inquired. He was told earlier by a young woman that he lacked sensitivity, so he wanted to disprove that theory.

"I'm –" Marceline started, but was quickly interrupted.

Marcellus leaped up from his seat and approached Kahn and while grabbing his collar shouted "You vile, pompous, murderous son of a – !"

"Marcellus!" His sister interrupted and he shot her a look that sent shivers down her spine. She had never seen him this angry; this intent on hurting someone and it scared her.

Kahn stepped backwards, releasing himself from Marcellus' grasp. "Whoa! I'm not your enemy here. I didn't kill your mother."

"I saw it with my own two eyes! And Marceline was there too, right?" He looked in her direction but she looked away, not agreeing with him but not wanting to disagree.

"Listen, that…that thing was not your mother; or at least it wasn't her any longer. But I'm not the one who did this, I'm not responsible, but I know who is."

Marcellus leaned close to Kahn's face, locking eyes with him, "Point him out then, and I shall end him." His voice was firm and intimidating.

"It's not that simple." Marcellus scoffed and returned to his previous spot as Kahn started, "My family has been after him for centuries. But he's not only a slippery fellow, he's also quite dangerous. His name is Neclord, a villainous vampire – sadistic, evil, manipulative – all of those things. He takes pride in making people suffer."

"And where can we find him?" Marcellus demanded.

"That's why I'm here. My father asked me to extend to you two an invitation to join us on our hunt."

Marcellus scoffed once more at the idea, but a curious Marceline inquired, "Join you? As hunters?" As she asked Marcellus quickly turned towards her, greatly confused; he had assumed she'd be as outraged as he was, but she wasn't. It made him realize that he might have been overreacting, blaming the wrong man. He was suddenly hit with embarrassment, but wouldn't dare admit it.

"You don't have to answer now. Stay here tonight, and tomorrow if you're still hell-bent on leaving we can supply you with one of our horses. But please, please consider our offer." He focused his attention more on Marcellus for he was the only one who appeared to protest the idea, but he wasn't buying it. He said nothing before he walked out of the tent, leaving the two of them alone.

Marceline stood up and walked in front of Kahn. "I hope you can excuse my brother," she started, "he doesn't mean a thing he said; he's just angry and confused."

"I think I understand how he feels." Kahn smiled as he looked into Marceline's tired eyes.

"You should talk to him, I'm sure by now he realized that he was out of line, but he's far too stubborn to come to you." She chuckled but it quickly faded as what went on tonight finally hit her; she closed her eyes and exhaled.

"You know," Kahn started, picking up on her mood change, "I admire your strength. If I were in your shoes, I'd be lying in the grass naked and crying until the sun comes up."

"One of us has to be strong." She looked into his eyes; her expression was serious and tired. "I'm all he has and he's all I have. All we have is each other, so I need to be strong for him."

"It's a tough gig…"

She smiled and looked out at her brother who was lying in the grass. "It's funny, by this time tomorrow he'll be the strong one while I'll be reduced to a weeping willow. It's always been that way." A single tear ran down her cheek and Kahn gently wiped it away. He didn't say a word, only smiled. Vulnerable, she smiled back before lowering her head. He lightly pulled her in, holding her tight giving her a much needed hug.

-o0o-

Marcellus DeVille sat with eyes closed and his legs folded in the grassy field as Kahn quietly approached from behind. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Marcellus surprised him with his question, his voice was calmer and more inviting; Marceline was right.

"Yeah, it really is." Kahn answered, looking up at the clear sky.

"It shouldn't be," he glanced in Kahn's direction, "this night doesn't deserve to be this beautiful." Kahn looked down at him; he could see the pain in his eyes. "There should be rain, thunder – chaos, but instead it's just – "

"Beautiful…" Kahn finished his sentence for him, and Marcellus lowered his head and exhaled in defeat. Kahn took a seat next time him to share his view, "May I ask you a question?"

"I'm sure saying no won't stop you." Marcellus answered without raising his head.

Kahn chuckled, "Let's say you don't take us up on our offer, where exactly will you go?"

Marcellus raised his head finally and brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea where we'd go."

"Do you have any other family you could go to?" Marcellus shook his head so Kahn continued, "What about a ladyfriend? I'm sure her parents could take you and your sister in."

Marcellus lowered his chin to his folded on atop of his knees, still looking forward he began to explain, "I've only ever loved one person in my life and tonight I had to kill him."

"I'm—I'm sorry…"

"It was easy to love him, you know?" He glanced over at Kahn before lowering his eyes back to the ground, continuing, "He never asked anything of me but to be myself, to treat him well, and to take care of my family. He'd often joke that I was too good for him, but in reality he was far too good for me. And tonight, it was as if he regained consciousness for a moment because he asked me to kill him – begged me so he wouldn't attack me, but I couldn't. I refused. I didn't want his last memory to be of me slaying him; and instead his last memory was of me disobeying the only thing he's ever really asked of me."

Kahn watched on as Marcellus' eyes begin to water, suddenly remembering the zombie corpse that led Marceline to Marcellus' location. The red headed zombie was once a person with a soul, a family, friends, and even a lover and he realized at that moment that he was the man Marcellus was speaking about; the man who was so easy to love and hard to let go. "Damn that Neclord!" He said out loud to himself while pounding his fist on the ground. "We'll get him, you hear me? We'll get that bastard."

"You're damn right we will, and we'll make him pay…" Marcellus laid back and looked up at the sky with his arms folded behind his head as a pillow. For a moment Kahn watched him, his eyes were full of rage, but hidden behind a calm demeanor. He'd seen those eyes before, years ago when his grandfather's life was taken at the hands of Neclord. His father became enraged and obsessed with getting revenge, putting his own life in danger to fulfill his goal. Marcellus looked exactly like him and Kahn knew the dangers that attitude would lead to, but he didn't press the issue; it wasn't the time and it wasn't his place. He laid beside him, one arm behind his head, the other across his stomach, sharing the view of the beautiful star-filled sky in silence.


	2. Chapter 2: The New Recruits

_Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to update this. I lost my motivation to write, but it's back now! :) I wanted to write a bit about the twin's history and I think I did just that in this chapter. I really hope you like it and reviews are always welcome. _

* * *

Chapter 2  
The New Recruits

The early morning sun had risen over the meadow. Daylight had approached and life slowly returned to the area; the wolves played tag in the tall grass and spikebeaks sipped the cool water from the riverbank. A massive tree stood over the southernmost end of the bank and under it laid Marcellus DeVille; with his arms folded behind his head to give it a place to rest, sleeping. His breathing was soft, gentle and paired with the smile he had on his face, it was obvious that he was having a very pleasant dream. It didn't last long; his body began to twitch and his smile turned into a frown. His beautiful dream turned into an ugly nightmare. He violently sat upright as he forced himself awake.

His panic was set at ease when he looked upon his surroundings; the beautiful meadow, the clear, bright blue sky, the stillness of the river bank. It was peaceful, so peaceful that he almost smiled before reality caught up with him again. The dream was just that, a dream, and the peacefulness was only a mirage, a tool to make him forget the carnage he previously escaped. That is, at least, how he saw it. He sat up against the tree that he slept under and placed two fingers on his temple as if he were nursing a migraine. He closed his eyes for a moment, but the faint sound of steel clashing caught his attention. It was Marceline and that _Marley boy_ sparring in the field; and from the looks of it, she was winning. This pleased Marcellus, his sister had always been a brilliant swordsman – err…swords_**woman**_. He smiled for a brief moment as he remembered that she'd slap him for that mistake.

He watched them for a moment, the Marley boy was as a skilled swordsman – he'd have to be – he was quick, but Marceline was quicker. He'd always admired her strength. Physically, she has always outdone him. She trained with the best of the best at the academy and she excelled effortlessly. This made him both proud and a bit jealous. He never had the endurance that she had, and he was definitely not as athletic. But where he lacked in strength, he made up for in magic. His natural affinity for runic magic allowed him the chance to study under one of the most revered Rune Masters at one of the most prestigious academies in Crystal Valley. He had many things to be proud of himself, yet he remained envious of his sister's accomplishments. "_The grass is always greener_…" his mother always said to him as she looked deep into the green, envious eyes of her only son. She'd say the same thing to Marceline later, Marcellus didn't know this but she felt the same way about him. She was always jealous of his knack for magic, the bond he shared with their mother, who gave him the very cyclone rune he has embedded in his forehead when he was just fifteen years old. He smiled again, remembering the conversation the two of them had about being jealous of one another. It was silly, but it brought them closer. He looked back up at the sword fight just in time to catch his sister knock the sword right out of Marley's hands. He was proud; this time, just proud.

-o0o-

It took a few days, but the group finally made it back to their encampment. It was definitely impressive. A massive tent covered the gated hunter's camp; the tall gate, made of grey and white stone, was great for defense against unforeseen attacks from the wildlife, bandits, or even the undead. The DeVilles entered the place in awe; it was not what they had expected. Small tents, fish roasting over a campfire, hunters training in the woods, and those that were not would be sitting around the campfire, telling stories – that's what they thought of when Kahn told them about the hunter's camp, but this was luxurious. Just how wealthy are the Marley family? "This place is enormous!" Marcellus said to himself.

"This is but one of my family's camps. We used to have many." Kahn explained as they continued walking.

"Used to…?" She asked.

Kahn paused for a moment before answering. "Our numbers have…dwindled over the years." He glanced back at them before he continued walking but the twins had stopped. The look in his eyes sent shivers down Marceline's spine. The two of them glanced at one another, both of them finally realizing that they weren't the only ones who suffered loses. They knew, no doubt, but the reality hadn't set in for them until now. Their eyes met but they were quickly directed towards the floor.

"I'm sorry…" Marceline finally spoke, her voice cracked.

Kahn stopped once again and looked back at the two siblings and smiled. His smile could have been genuine or it could have been forced, the two of them didn't know him well enough to tell. "Sorry? Sorry for what? It wasn't your fault. Besides, my father's in charge now, there is no way we're going to lose." He smiled once again, this one definitely genuine, before continuing. The Devilles would follow this time.

He had given them the tour of the encampment, there were tents all over, but they were properly placed; some were bigger than others. There was a blanksmith's tent, a large storage tent, general goods and armory tents – all potch received went directly to the funding for new supplies – there was even a rune mistress in one of the tents. Marceline swore she's seen her before, but she couldn't place her finger on exactly where. There were many other tents, but Kahn assured them that they weren't important, just a place where the hunters could lie their heads at night. They soon reached one of those smaller tents meant to be the DeVilles' housing. Kahn started, "This is where the two of you will be –"

"The name is Pierre Monroe, nice to meet ya!" The nasally voice of a man cut Kahn off mid-sentence. The twins turned their head towards the man who approached them. He was shorter than average with large, thick glasses, very curly hair, and unkempt clothes; half of his shirt, intended to be tucked into his trousers, escaped and he didn't seem to notice or mind. He approached the twins with his arm extended, going in for a hand shake. Marceline reciprocated, but Marcellus did not. He simple looked at this 'Pierre's' hand, then back up at him. Pierre didn't question it, he simple retracted his hand. "Do you know what this is?" He held up a large piece of paper with black print on the front and back in front of Marcellus' face.

"It's…a piece of paper…" Annoyed, Marcellus answered in a rather dry, uninterested tone.

"Just a piece of paper!? Oh no, my friend! This is more than just a piece of paper!" He spoke fast, but not so fast that they couldn't keep up. His enthusiasm was admirable, but most would agree that he was an acquired taste. "This 'piece of paper'" he continued, "is the world! This is Harmonia! This is…news." He smiled, "News! Information that could save lives, build futures, stop a war, _start_ a war. This _piece of paper_ is what I like to call a 'Newspaper'. I invented it myself, you know?" He looked upon the twins once more, they were both fighting the urge to laugh, but he didn't notice. He was gifted at gathering information and putting together a beautifully written article, but he was naïve as well.

They snickered to themselves, how many times have they met someone who has '_invented'_ the newspaper since they've come to Harmonia? How many people have they met who had a knack for sticking their nose in someone else's business, gossiping about it, and calling it news? This guy, this _Pierre_ was the real deal, no doubt, but he did not invent the newspaper. Marceline was amused by this man, but Marcellus was already annoyed, he wanted to drop his things in his room and then drop himself in his bed, but Pierre wasn't done. "Wait a minute…" he took a closer look at the DeVilles, "You're the DeVille twins, are you not? You'll be joining the ranks of the Hunters, I hear."

"How did you…?" Marceline started.

"Information, my dear!" He started once more, "There is no information that I can't obtain, that is why I'm going to be the most famous reporter in Harmonia – no, in the world!" He raised his hands high above his head and Marceline stepped back to make sure she wouldn't get hit. "Tell me, my dear," He lowered his hands and leaned in closer to her; he seemed to not grasp the concept of personal space and she was visibly uncomfortable, but he didn't notice. "When Wiese was attacked by the – " He glanced around, putting his hand near his mouth, lowering his voice to a whisper, "undead –" He retracted and raised his voice to its normal pitch, "where were you? What was going through your head? Did you have to slay any of your friends? Any of your family? Were there children?"

Marceline's eyes widened and she froze as he asked what he likes to call the 'Hard Questions'. Her reality was finally hitting her as it did Marcellus a few days ago. "ENOUGH!" Marcellus violently jerked forward, interrupting the annoying man's questions. Kahn saw this coming and held him back with one arm extended in front of Marcellus' chest.

"Pierre, please." Kahn said calmly.

Pierre was confused, he finally got his head out of the clouds and noticed the faces of the twins – they were the faces of sadness, remorse, and anger. "Right, my apologies." He bowed awkwardly, "Oh! Rupert!" He called out to a man passing by and took his leave as he treaded after him. Marcellus looked over, but he couldn't quite get a glimpse of the man; he could tell, however, that he did not want to be bothered with Pierre. No surprises there. He then noticed Kahn's arm still blocking his way forward, he looked down at it and then back up at Kahn, who just realized that his arm was still there as well.

"I wasn't going to _hit_ him." Marcellus smirked as he spoke. Kahn did as well, but their smiles faded when they looked over at Marceline, who has yet to move. "Marceline? You alright?" His words brought her back to reality, but she wouldn't answer his question, she couldn't lie to her brother, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Not right now.

She sighed, "Is this where we will be staying?"

"For now, yes." Kahn replied. He didn't bother repeating Marcellus' question, although he was curious of the answer, but he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Good." She walked inside the tent, leaving the boys on the outside. She didn't once look either of them in the eyes; she kept them towards the floor.

Marcellus watched her with concern, and Kahn watched him to see what his next move would be. Marcellus' gaze soon met with Marley's, but this time it wasn't full of hostility, but confusion. This caught Kahn off guard and he stumbled with his words "Please," he cleared his throat, "make yourselves at home. I'm pretty sure my father would like to speak to you both properly in the near future." Kahn smiled, albeit awkwardly, and wondered off. Marcellus took a deep breath before entering the tent where his sister was. The two of them need to talk.

-o0o-

The next morning seemed to have come faster than usual. The DeVille twins were already up by the time Kahn made his way to summon them. He could hear their voices from across the camp. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but from their tone, he knew his interruption would not be welcomed, but would be necessary; he picked up the pace. When he got closer to their tent, their conversation became clear. They were in the middle of discussing Marceline's reaction – or lack thereof – to Pierre's "Hard Questions" the previous day. Marcellus sounded angry or concerned regarding Marceline's refusal to talk to him about it. This was strange to him, Marceline would often confide in him as he would to her. This time she wouldn't, but why? Was it because she felt she couldn't? That made no sense to him. What was it? What was the reason she suddenly shut him out?

He didn't think that she could have simply wanted some space, time to think and collect herself. Marceline never wanted space! She'd always come to him when something happened, sometimes right after it happened, even _while_ it's happening. This time, however, she shut him out, and it didn't occur to him that maybe it was because this time things were different. This wasn't the same as when some dumb boy used her at the academy to get closer to her friend. This wasn't the same as when she messed up during a fencing demonstration in front of a recruiter, and she was sure she wouldn't make the cut. Their mother was dead. Their only home for more than ten years was destroyed. This was different. He failed to put the two together, so he continued to prod until she finally snapped.

"Because I've been too busy taking care of you!" She shouted in response to his question. Kahn jerked back; he did not expect her reaction. Marcellus didn't expect it either; he eyes went from concerned to remorse. It was then that he realized that he had been taking this whole thing on his own. She didn't shut him out, he shut her out. Trapped in his own head, he forgot that he wasn't the only one dealing with the death of a mother. She was right; she was trying to be strong for the both of them, but Marceline regretted that outburst immediately. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean…" she started, tears forming in her eyes.

"No, you're right…" His voice cracked.

"No, Marc, I just meant –"

"No, Marceline. You're right. I've been in my own head these past few days, I didn't think – I didn't realize – I – talk to me, please." He stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. "Please…" His whisper broke her and the tears ran down her cheek. She tried to look away but he followed her head with his.

"I can't help but think that maybe if we were there, we could have stopped –"

"No."

"But how do you kn—"

"No, Marceline! If we were there we would have perished along with everyone else. It doesn't make it any better, but it damn sure doesn't make it any worse."

"But I could have said goodbye…" She said with a sniffle.

"Is a goodbye worth your life, Marceline?"

"But she died thinking that I hated her." She paused as she tried to fight back the tears, but she was unsuccessful. They ran down her cheeks and her voice cracked as well, there was no hiding, no pretending. Guilt had taken over. "And I think – I think maybe I did."

"No." He was in disbelief; he couldn't even conjure up a proper response.

"She sent us away as soon as she could." Though the tears still fell from her cheeks to the floor, the crying had ceased. She was no longer sad, she was angry. "And he… I bet he was thrilled at the idea of having us out of his home."

"To hell with him, Marceline! Who cares what he thought!?" He snapped.

"She obviously did; much more than she cared for us." Her tone was calm, sure, it was obvious that this thought wasn't new to her. She had been running this idea through her head for many years now.

"That is not true and you know it."

"Isn't it? She sent her only children away just to be with that _man_. She submitted to everything he wanted, even when it came to us!"

"She wanted to give us a better life, Marceline. She wanted to protect us from him!"

"Then why didn't she come with us?" The tears had started once more. "Crystal Valley is a big place, if she could afford to ship us off to the academy, she could have bought a place there – away from him!"

Marcellus paused for a moment and looked into his sister's eyes. His mouth was ajar, trying to pinpoint exactly how to respond. "Because…" He began; his voice was softer than normally. He believed he had found the words. "Because she may have given up on herself, Marceline, but she _**never**_ gave up on us."

He was right; he had found the right words. Marceline never took her eyes off of him, and the tears still fell. Her guilt had returned and so did her sadness. She was seconds away from collapsing on the floor and sobbing hysterically, but Marcellus was there to catch her. He held her for a moment; though he too was fighting back tears, he kept them inside. He had his turn to grieve, to mourn, and now it was her turn. He would let her have her moment, a moment she had needed for so long now. This time, however, he'd be there to comfort her; he'd be the one to make it right. Kahn still stood at the doorway, out of sight. He remembered feeling the same way in the past. He had been on both sides of the fence, grieving and comforting. He didn't want to interrupt them, but he had to. It was time; his father had summoned them. They were to become hunters.

-o0o-

The afternoon sun left its mark on Kahn's neck as he stood beside his father just a few yards outside the encampment. The hunters had gathered around to witness the DeVilles' initiation. There were few hunters in total; there were a small portion of them that were not a part of the Marley family, but not many. The DeVilles stood on a makeshift battlefield across from a female magician and a male hunter. It was time for their test. Kahn's father did not explain the rules to them, he wanted to see how they handled themselves on their own, without his assistance. He watched them carefully, their initiation would now begin.

"Come at us as if you intend to kill us. Do not hold back." The female magician spoke. She had long, dark purple hair that fell to her lower back. Like the other hunters, she wore the black uniform with a long trench coat, but she wore it differently. It was tighter, it fit her more _properly_. The man standing beside her, the male hunter, looked more savage. His stance made him look as if he had intended to rip the two of them apart. Marceline took notice of this as she had gotten the same look from many of the hunters. Were outsiders unwelcome?

"You sure about that?" Marcellus cockily replied.

"Don't be cocky, boy," she laughed, "we won't be holding back either." She smiled, but it wasn't a playful smile. She was serious. Her eyes narrowed in on Marcellus as the male hunter beside her kept his eyes on Marceline. Marcellus was nervous, but he wouldn't dare show it. He smirked and held his staff with his with confidence in his left hand; Marceline unsheathed her rapier. She had a tight grasp on the handle and took a deep breath. They were ready. It was time.

The male hunter dashed to the left in rapid speed. He was fast! A little too fast, but Marceline gave chase. Marcellus took his eyes off of the female magician for a quick second to check on his sister. This would have been a costly mistake because she took that opportunity to hurl a few fireballs at him, but he quickly summoned two stone pillars to block them. He smiled; it had been a while since he had dueled with another mage, and she would prove as a challenge. She kept him busy; she could hurl fireballs as fast as he could use his earth rune to block them, not giving him a chance to go on the offense. His sister met her match as well. He was as quick as she was, possibly quicker. She'd swing and he'd dodge; it seemed as if it went on like this forever.

Finally, she saw an opening! But she used this moment to retreat back behind her brother's stone barrier. "Switch!?" She had to shout over the sound of the fireballs hitting his barrier.

"Aye! Switching!" Marcellus shouted back. The two of them formulated a plan, a synchronized attack of a sort.

Marceline dashed towards the female magician, dodging the incoming fireballs on the way. She somehow picked up the magician's pattern of attack and was able to pinpoint exactly where to jump to avoid being hit. As she got closer to the magician, the male hunter charged towards her; now it was Marcellus' turn. He raised a stone pillar in front of him with the intent on using the male hunter's momentum against him. It failed; he repelled off the pillar and quickly made his way to Marcellus. He held a few knives within his sleeves, and as he charged towards Marcellus, he unveiled them and tossed them in Marcellus' direction. Marcellus extended his arm, hand wide open, and used his cyclone rune to create a small gust of wind that would direct the throwing knives back at the hunter. He jumped back himself to avoid the incoming blades.

His sister was definitely doing her part; she had reached the magician and jumped over her. When she landed she was behind her, she swung her rapier – now coated with intense flames – at the female magician; close enough to cause the magician to jump backwards to avoid the blow, but far enough to purposely not harm her. When she landed, she was back to back with the male hunter. She noticed something on the ground and glanced at it quickly. There was an 'X' marked in the dirt. It was at this moment that she realized that the two of them had been deceived by the DeVille twins. Suddenly a large dome made of stone formed around them, the two of them tried their best to escape, but they were not quick enough before the dome had completely enclosed them inside.

Marceline caught up to her brother, who had been preparing for the finale. He dropped his staff to the ground and pressed his palms together. With his eyes closed, he took a deep breath. Suddenly the wind began to pick up and the ground inside of the dome began to tremor. From the outside of the dome, the hunters could hear the female magician and the male hunter cry out in pain, but they did not know what was happening on the inside. Kahn and his father jerked forward and they both let out a gasp. Just what did Marcellus do?

"E-Enough!" Kahn's father shouted as he dashed towards the battlefield. His face had concern written all over it, and fear for his two hunters. Marcellus looked back at the approaching man for a few seconds before abiding by his wishes. It only took a moment before the dome had collapsed into a pile of rubble. And when it did, it revealed outcome of the DeVilles' plan of attack. The female magician and the male hunter were on their knees. She looked at Marcellus, and he looked back at her for a brief moment before the two of them begin to laugh hysterically. The Marleys were confused. From the sound of her scream, he was sure the collapsed dome would reveal two lifeless bodies, but it did not.

"You held back!" She playfully shouted at the male twin. Her laughing had ceased only a little. She enjoyed that fight, she enjoyed being defeated.

"Well, we couldn't very well kill you now, could we?" Marcellus joked back.

She made it to her feet and approached Kahn's father with a grin on her face. "They're good!" She started, "Cocky, but good." When she spoke of cockiness, she playfully elbowed Marcellus in the chest. He laughed. It's been a while since he'd enjoyed himself like this.

Kahn's father was pleased. They had not only demonstrated that they worked well together, but they proved to him that they both knew their strengths and their weaknesses. They used that to their advantage. What one of them couldn't do, the other would do it for them; they were as one on the battlefield. Teamwork has always been something he tried to knock into Kahn's head; these two would make great companions for him. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from them down the line. Marcellus would be outfitted with the Resurrection rune in his right hand. They would be given access to all of the features available to the hunters – weapons, armor, supplies; it was official, they were hunters.

-o0o-

Night had arrived in the encampment, and the twins stood outside father Marley's tent. From the outside they could barely make out the conversation Kahn and his father were having. It was heated, well, Kahn was upset but his father was calm as usual. According to Pierre Monroe, there had been a single zombie sighting in a city called Morton and he wanted Kahn and the new recruits to check it out. Normally this would please Kahn. A chance to hunt on his own was something he has been looking forward to for quite some time, but this assignment was not met with joy. Even his father thought that this wasn't much of an investigation. After the attack on Wiese, there have been many claims of zombie sightings by frightened villages on the outskirts of Crystal Valley. There was no truth behind these claims, and a zombie sighting; a single zombie sighting? Farfetched was an understatement.

Kahn stormed out of his father's tent, bypassing the twins in his silent tantrum. The twins followed him as he led them back to his tent, muttering under his breath. He was angry, and according to him, rightfully so. He deserved better than this. He had proven himself plenty of times, but especially in Wiese. In Wiese, not only did he find two survivors, but he ensured they escaped safely. He's shown his father that he could handle being a hunter, so why was he still babying him? He stormed into his tent and fell back on his bed, resting his head in his palms. "I probably look like a spoiled brat, don't I?" He said without lifting his head.

"No –" Marceline started.

"Yes." Marcellus interrupted. Marceline shot him a look, indicating that she wanted him to leave the room. Marcellus shrugged, but he granted her wish and left the room.

"Why does he do this?" Kahn asked after making sure that Marcellus had left the tent; his insecurity had set in. "Am I not good enough? Does he not want me –"

"Do you know what you're going to do?" She interrupted him. "You're going to Morton and you're going to complete this investigation. It doesn't matter whether this sighting is fact or fiction, you will do it and you will come back here with your head held high."

"And my father still won't respect me."

"It's not a matter of respect, Kahn!" She shot back. "Everyone has to start somewhere. You sweep the floors before you bake the pies, and you bake the pies before you own the place. We _all_ start at the bottom. But it's how we handle being at the bottom that determines how fast we make it to the top. Remember that. Goodnight."

As she spoke, he did not move. His eyes followed her as she exited the tent leaving him, but not alone, her words would stay with him that night. She was right; whether or not he wanted to admit that fact was now irrelevant. He would venture to the city of Morton in the morning. He will, with the help of the DeVilles, complete this senseless investigation and he _will_ make his way to the top. He turned off the oil lamp that lit his tent, he'll try his best but he won't sleep much tonight.


	3. Chapter 3: Children of the Blue Moon

Chapter 3  
Children of the Blue Moon

It had only been a little over a day since Kahn and the DeVilles had set out to Morton City. The hunters hadn't many horses to go around in the first place, so a small expedition like this did not warrant transportation by wagon. Kahn and his team were given a small boat as means of transportation. It was much slower than the wagon and the river wasn't very large, but it would suffice. They had decent food, shelter, and supplies to last them for over a week on the river, but they wouldn't need it. Morton City was just a few more hours away.

Kahn was at the very front of the boat, outside of the cabin. He laid there, gazing at the clear skies in silence; he tried his best not to bother the captain. He was a round, old man with grey hair and a beard that proved most stereotypical in Kahn's eyes. He was not of the Marley family, but he had been with the hunters for quite some time. He enjoyed the early morning breeze, the silence of the river, and the isolation it brings from the populous. Marley's company, however, was always welcomed.

Marcellus DeVille later joined him at the front of the boat. He was surprised to see Kahn up so early, and anyone who knew him would be too. Kahn had a knack for being the last to rise. "You seem to be in better spirits." Marcellus observed as he looked at the face of someone who once was agitated and unpleased about this trip, but was no longer.

"Yes, well" he started with a smile, "I've been doing some thinking." He paused, giving Marcellus the chance to inquire as to what his _thinking_ accomplished, but he did not. His eyebrows raised in curiosity, this signal Kahn to continue. "Have you ever been to Morton City?" he asked as he sat upright. "It's a beautiful place full of good food, amazing wine, and beautiful women." He paused yet again and looked in Marcellus' direction, "well…I suppose that last part matters not to you." He finished with a grin.

"Very funny…" Marcellus responded dryly. It was obvious that he did, in fact, find it humorous, but other than the crooked smile he did not show it.

Kahn looked upon Marcellus as he looked into the horizon. He studied him; he was confused – pleasantly confused, but confused nonetheless. Marcellus had always approached Kahn with hostility and aggression, but not this morning. This morning he was kind and Kahn debated whether or not he should speak of that. He decided it was best to enjoy the moment because it may be the last. "I could say the same for you, you know?" And then he decided not to listen to himself.

"I'm sorry?" Not taking his eyes off of the horizon.

"You seem to be in a better mood yourself, if I'm not mistaken." Kahn said with caution.

Marcellus smiled, sat next to the Marley boy, and looked up at the sky. "You see…" he began, "someone made it perfectly clear that being angry won't change things – that it won't bring the ones we've lost back."

Kahn also smiled. He knew exactly who this 'someone' was. "Marceline is a wonderful, wonderful woman, isn't she?" He didn't realize his thoughts had escaped from his brain through his mouth.

"That she is…" he started, but he looked over in Kahn's direction, his eyes were more serious; reminiscent to the time Kahn had told him he could not save his mother. "She's also my twin sister, Marley." Was that hostility, or the tone of a protective brother?

Marley then realized that his thoughts did escape. "Well of course," he cleared his throat nervously, "I…I can definitely see where she gets her good looks." He looked into Marcellus' eyes as Marcellus looked into his. It was almost as If they were having an intense stare down for what seemed like hours, but it was only a few seconds before Marcellus burst into laughter. This put a smile on Kahn's face, seeing him laugh like this. He shared this laugh with the male twin, his first – their first. He had hoped it wouldn't be their only.

Marceline stepped out of the small cabin to witness this moment, but she would not interrupt. She was happy they were getting along. They would need to; they were a team now, and although being the best of friends wasn't a requirement, it certainly helped. She smiled; laughter is what they needed, but that wasn't the only thing. She smiled because hearing her brother's laugh was something she missed.

-o0o-

Morton City was exactly how Kahn had described it: Beautiful. It was no Crystal Valley, but it was quite large. It was a seaport city, and its architecture consisted mostly of stone. The streets were full of people, but it was not crowded. A family of four carried that night's dinner home, the two small children trailing behind their parents with glee. One of the little girls waved at Marcellus as she passed by; he smiled, he loved children. He remembered that he and Alroy had talked about possibly taking in orphans in the distant future. _So much for that_, he thought to himself as his smile slowly faded and his eyes fell to the ground. This wasn't the time nor the place; there was an investigation that needed to be done and an audience with the mayor would be their first step.

It was no surprise to any of them how massive the mayor's manor was. The oversized gated mansion was made of grey stone and beautifully manicured shrubs led to the entrance. The three of them felt almost dwarfed by the large, blue door. They stood there for a moment before being led inside by well-dressed middle aged man. He wore a white shirt tucked into black trousers with a black vest over it; and every strand of his greying black hair was kept in place. He introduced himself as the mayor's assistant as he led them into the foyer to be seated. His voice was soothing, his accent attractive, and he spoke proper and clear; but a well-educated person wasn't exactly hard to find in Harmonia.

The team were seated and instructed to wait until the mayor could see them. The large room was painted white and the furniture was kept a simple dark brown. An outsized stairway was wrapped around the right-side wall to the back wall, leading to the second floor of the mansion; double doors were set underneath it in the far back of the room. They were told she'd be with them shortly, but that wasn't the case; it took her hours to see them, but the team waited patiently, even Marcellus. This was typical with those in charge to enhance the façade of their importance they make the little people wait for however long they can manage. This was frustrating and unnecessary.

Marcellus was just about to convince them to leave with him when the mayor's assistant's voice came out of nowhere, informing them that the mayor was ready to see them. She sat inside behind a massive desk; with a feather pen in her hand, she did not once look up at them to greet them, she simply kept writing. The three of them just stood there, waiting for her to acknowledge them and she sure took her sweet time. Neither of them could hide the fact that they were annoyed if they wanted to. She made them wait unnecessarily in the foyer and now she's making them wait while they're standing right in front of her. She called for them, they assumed she was ready to speak to them, and what was she writing that was so important that she couldn't raise her head for a second to greet her guests?

It wasn't until Kahn cleared his throat that she finally acknowledged their arrival. Her eyes quickly darted up towards the three of them and her writing paused; and as she tilted her head, her red hair fell from her face, revealing her bright blue eyes. "May I help you?" She said dryly. It was obvious she was uninterested or maybe too busy; either way, she did not pretend.

"I am Kahn Marley of the –"

"Ah, yes." She interrupted. She stood up and removed her glasses, placing them on the large, wooden desk. "I heard from my assistant that you'd be coming here today. Are you enjoying your visit to Morton City?" Kahn nodded, ready to respond but she did not allow it. "Very good, Morton City is beautiful city, full of life and opportunities. If you're interested, I could –"

Kahn interrupted her, slightly annoyed with her inability to grasp the reason for their arrival; either that or her ability to glide over the subject at hand. "If I'm not mistaken, there was a report of a zombie sighting near the city walls?"

It didn't seem possible, but her already uninviting posture became even more uninviting; tense, maybe irritated. "You are not mistaken, but the reports were wrong."

"Can you be certain of this?" Marceline asked.

"The fact that this city doesn't look like Wiese should be proof enough." Mayor Isabelle added.

"Excuse me!?" Marcellus cracked, but the look his sister gave him reeled him back in. He took a deep breath as he lowered his head and closed his eyes, trying to keep his cool. She didn't mean any harm by her statement and he knew it, he had just been looking for an excuse to mouth off to her since he entered the room. His outburst went right over her head, she had no clue her comment made him so angry; or she didn't care. She sat back down behind her desk and apologized for the inconvenience. To make up for it, she offered them a free night in Morton City's most beautiful inn before having her assistant escort them out of her office. They didn't put up much of a fight. It was obvious that they weren't going to get anything out of her. Besides, they came here knowing this lead could lead them nowhere; they weren't surprised at her refusal to help. The team knew that after the attack on Wiese, many cities, large or small, would be crying wolf. They had every reason to be afraid; Wiese was a small village, but how quickly it went down was definitely cause for concern. Maybe there really wasn't a zombie sighting. Maybe someone was just being overly cautious, but did she have to be so rude about it?

The team stood defeated in the foyer once more, but this time they weren't agitated because of waiting, but because all of their waiting was for nothing. The mayor's assistant apologized for their inconvenience and was on his way to showing them out when a young girl made her way down the white, marbled steps. She was definitely the mayor's daughter. From her blue eyes to her red hair, she was the spitting image of her mother. The only thing she lacked was her mother's abrasiveness, but she made up for it with her charm. She welcomed the three of them to her home and her city, but her attention was mostly on Marcellus. Something about him attracted her – his appearance, his age, or maybe it was his bad boy demeanor – something about him she liked, and she made it painfully obvious. Her attention to the mage amused his sister and the Marley boy, but it made him incredibly uncomfortable; she couldn't have been older than fifteen. She smiled in his direction while giving him the once-over before leaving them to meet with her mother.

Through the closed office doors, the team could hear the faint sound of a disagreement between mother and daughter. From the sound of it, this was a common occurrence. It was typical for a mother and her teenage daughter to butt heads, and including the added pressure of responsibility, it was bound to happen often. Emily was her name, but she much rather be referred to as Lilith; her mother neither appreciated her name change nor abided to her daughter's wishes. She was frustrated with her daughter's new friends. Emily – well, Lilith represented Morton City, but she was also a fifteen year old girl. The conversation didn't last long before the young girl stormed out of her mother's office and back up the stairs in a huff. They all understood, it wasn't too long ago that they were in the same position.

-o0o-

Morton City Inn was a large establishment that housed a tavern on the first floor and guest rooms on the second and third. It was owned by an elderly couple who purchased the place when they were in their late twenties, granting it the much needed history to attract guests. The tavern was full that afternoon, but there were definitely vacancies in the inn. A young hostess guided the team to a table near a window; Marley sat on one side while the twins sat on the other. As courtesy of Mayor Isabelle, she offered them each a free meal for their troubles – a basket of BBQ meat buns for Kahn, crab cakes for Marceline, and pineapple rice with a green salad for Marcellus; much to the hostess' surprise. "Are you sure you don't want to try our Sukiyaki? Or maybe our shrimp tempura?" The hostess asked with a smile. Her voice was gentle and inviting, perfect for someone tasked with the job of making and keeping people happy on a daily basis.

"No, thank you, I –" Marcellus attempted reply was surprisingly calm, but she interrupted. He looked like a man with a massive appetite and she wouldn't dare let him starve on a count of him being too shy to order what he wanted. He kept politely turning down her offers, but it was becoming obvious to his sister that his patience was increasingly growing thin; as was her own.

"He's a vegetarian." The female twin interjected. The hostess mouth opened to speak, but no words could come out. She was embarrassed, but Marcellus didn't mind really, she had no way of knowing. She took their orders and headed to the back to let the chefs know what the team wanted. A nice musical performance on the small stage caught their attention as they waited. There was a dancer whose moves were hypnotizing; and she was beautiful. Her purple dress flowed as effortlessly as her long dark red hair as she danced to the music. Everyone in the tavern watched her dance in awe, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the Marley boy. He smiled and sat back in his chair with arms folded behind his head, the mayor wasn't lying when she said that Morton City Inn was magnificent.

The food was amazing and as they finished their meal the entertainment had set up for the night. The beautiful dancer approached their table and slipped flyer in front of the Marley boy. "We'll be performing here the rest of the night. If you're interested you should stop by." Seduction was a language she was well versed in. Whether it was words, her beautiful green eyes, or the way she moved, she had a way of seducing the minds of those around her.

"Well, will you look at that," he spoke with a smile, attempting to play it cool, "we just might do that." He succeeded. She returned the smile before making her way out of the building and his eyes followed her. Marceline glanced at the flyer before he placed it in his pocket – something about the blue moon? She couldn't make it out, nor did she care. It was late and she had a beautiful room to enjoy completely free of charge; they would not be able to rest for long. It was a little before midnight when Kahn's slumber was interrupted by sudden and desperate knocks on his door. It was the mayor's assistant and Emily had gone missing. He needed their help. They needed their help.

-o0o-

The mayor was crying hysterically as she allowed the team to search through her daughter's room all the while complaining about her daughter's newfound friends. She did not like them, she did not want her daughter around them, and she had always feared that their influence would cause her daughter to pull a stunt such as the one she pulled that night. They were the reason her daughter preferred to go by the name of 'Lilith'. They were the reason why her daughter suddenly became 'unmanageable' as she put it. _No wonder she ran away_, Marcellus chuckled to himself as he stood by the door, arms crossed, watching his sister and the Marley boy search through the room for clues of Emily's whereabouts.

"Tell me about her friends – the ones you aren't particularly fond of." The Marley boy inquired. She had never met them herself. She's only heard stories about them from her employees or brownnosers who snoop around in Emily's affairs. She didn't need to know them or meet them to know that they were unfit company for her daughter. She had forbidden her daughter from associating with those kids.

"It won't stop her." Marcellus interjected, "Do you really think telling a child not to do something would stop them from doing it? It would probably make her want to be with them even more."

She looked at him for a moment as if she was going to slap him, but he was right. Kahn promised her that he'd find Emily for her, a promise he planned on keeping, a promise neither of them was sure he _could_ keep. She thanked him and her assistant escorted her to her room so that he could talk to the team more privately. When he returned, he revealed that she would often sneak out of her bedroom to meet with her friends. She would dress in all black and two of them would meet her in the courtyard after dark, and she would return before anyone would notice. So what was so different about tonight?

She's never been gone this long, and the absence of a few of her things indicated that she did not plan on coming back. He handed Kahn a slip of paper that read "_Children of the Blue Moon_". It was an invitation to a gathering that Emily would frequent. They would host parties in various locations, but it was by invitation only and that invitation had long since passed. Marceline spoke about the flyer the dancer handed the Marley boy earlier that night; it mentioned something about a blue moon. He removed it from his pocket and finally gave it a real once-over. There it was: _The Children of the Blue Moon_ on the front of the flyer in bold print; the dancer had given them an invitation to the very place they needed to look.

-o0o-

The invitation led the gang to an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. After being allowed in, they were guided by a young woman to their table to enjoy the entertainment. The dancer from the tavern was putting on an outstanding performance for everyone inside. Everyone was drinking and dancing in ways that made the team incredibly uncomfortable. The team all split up to mingle with the crowd to inquire about Emily's – well, Lilith's whereabouts. Their questions were met with suspicion and annoyance, but no one bothered to object to answering them. No one knew exactly where she was, but Madam Marianna would.

"Madam Marianna?" Marcellus asked. "Is she supposed to be the ring leader of you louts?" His question was met with a giggle from the girl in green. Madam Marianna was no ring leader. She was the one who woke them up from their slumber. She was the one who showed them what it truly meant to feel alive. She was the one who showed them the value of death and the life thereafter. According to Marcellus this woman was a lunatic, but she did have a point; if they were to find Emily, they'd need to speak to this Madam Marianna and he'd rather do so sooner than later, this place was giving him the creeps. The three of them met back up at their table to discuss their findings. They each came back with a similar story, half of the people they spoke to seemed worship this Madam Marianna, and the other half were too drunk to even know who themselves were.

"I heard you were looking for Madam Marianna." The question came from a woman who approached the table. She had short black hair and wore a long red dress.

"We are actually," Marceline started, "do you know where we could –"

"And what do you want from her?" She interrupted. She was incredibly protective of Madam Marianna and rightfully so; the entire place was full of people who saw her as their goddess. This woman has left quite the impression of these people. They would explain to her that they are looking for the mayor's daughter, Lilith, and she assured them that Lilith was in safe hands. She informed them that if they would like to speak to her, they'd have to speak to Madam Marianna first. She had introduced herself as Cecelia, and she offered to escort them to Madam Marianna's private chambers. The three of them had no other choice but to agree. It was going to be a long night.

Madam Marianna's "_private chambers_" was a large villa out in the meadow. It had large bushes in the shape of spheres that sat outside the main entrance. It was beautiful, at least the bit of it that they were able make out in the darkness. The large doors led to an equally large foyer with beautiful furniture and a cozy fireplace. This Madam Marianna woman must have been very wealthy. Kahn didn't get much of a chance to marvel at the place as the twins did, he would see Madam Marianna immediately and they will wait in the foyer. "This place reminds me of the dorm rooms in the old Academy." Marceline reminisced from her seat as she took in her surroundings.

"They were really nice, weren't they?" He spoke as he felt the stone that made up the fireplace.

"Mmhm" she nodded, "I kind of miss it, you know?"

Marcellus chuckled. "I think you mostly miss the life we had there, before all of this happened. Who would have thought that extensive training would ever be considered the simple life?" Marceline chuckled herself and they both fell into laughter, thinking about how drastically their lives had changed in only a few days. Their laughter died when a young girl took hold of Marceline's hand, taking her by surprise. She appeared no older than twelve, with pale skin and unkempt hair. She looked up at Marceline with her big, empty brown eyes, before running off down the hall.

She did not leave them empty-handed; however, Marceline noticed that she left a slip of paper in her hand when the young girl took hold of it. 'Help' was all it said. She was stunned, confused by the young girls message. "What is it?" Marcellus' voice brought her out of her trance, but she wouldn't be able to answer. Soon the woman returned to the foyer after escorting the Marley boy to the Madam's private chambers.

"Am I interrupting something?" She inquired after noticing the weird reaction to her entering the room.

"No," Marceline replied with a nervous smile, almost letting the recent news blow her cover, "We're just admiring the place. It's lovely."

"Thank you; this is all Madam Marianna's. They won't be long; I'm going to grab a drink, would you two like anything?" The twins both turned down her offer. As Cecelia went in the kitchen for a glass Marceline sunk herself into her seat. She couldn't explain to her brother what she just witness, not only because they were in the company of Cecelia, but also because she couldn't exactly explain it to herself.

-o0o-

Madam Marianna's bedroom was enormous. The floor was made of gray and white tile with a large, red carpet underneath her equally large bed. It had a large table for entertaining guest in the middle of the room; it was beyond spectacular. Kahn gazed upon the woman's display of paintings on the wall as he sipped his wine. She had excellent taste, or so he assumed. He knew nothing about art, but tonight he would channel his father, be the charming Marley he was sure he could be. He wanted to appear older and more mature in front of her, and this was his chance to prove that he could handle an investigation with finesse.

She spoke to him as he admired her artwork. He glanced in her direction from time to time; she showed off her hourglass figure in her tight black dress. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, and her hair was black as night. She was beautiful. She took a sip of her red wine and spoke to him about their place, their meaning, their purpose. They were a group of sorts and she was their guide. She spoke about what they believed in, the afterlife. This did not surprise the Marley boy, their choices of attire made that fact pretty clear. He would appear to be ignorant; however, he would appear to play into her hands. If he father could see him now, he thought with a smile, he would be so proud.

"We don't believe that the soul simply dies when the body leaves this plane," She explained, "but returns in the shape of another. In one hundred years I may reappear in the form of a man – or a woman of different means."

"So you believe in reincarnation?" He didn't take his eyes off of the massive portrait of a headless horseman in front of him.

"That is just one of the many beliefs we embrace here."

"Hmm." He pondered for a moment, soaking in the thrill of the role play. He was enjoying this far too much, but he could not show it. He had to be calm, he had to be charming. "So, is that why do you call yourselves the Children of the Blue Moon?"

"I'm sorry?" His question wasn't foreign, many have asked, but for some reason she did not enjoy hearing it from him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well you know, the Blue Moon. As in…the Blue Moon Village or maybe the Blue Moon Rune? The rune rumored to bring about the very thing you people here cherish – the afterlife – specifically the undead. Am I right?"

"What!?" She asked aggressively, but she made sure she kept her voice down. "You… you have no idea what you're talking about, do you?" She tried to laugh to prove to him that he was wrong, but it came out more nervous than confident.

"I've been around; studied at a few academies, even read a few books. I know things, but what I can't quite figure out is how exactly have you kept this going for so long?" His expression far exceeded arrogance, he knew he had her in a corner, and this angered her greatly. She didn't respond so he just continued. "These people – these naïve individuals – you've got them wrapped around your finger. They believe everything you say without question. In their eyes you are perfection. I've spoken to them, you know? And they're all torn from wanting to be you and wanting to be with you. So tell me, is it the Phero rune?"

She was enraged, both by his arrogant tone and the fact that he was dangerously close to figuring out information he was not meant to know. He had to be eliminated. She tried to keep her cool, but she failed miserably. She held a tight grip on her wine glass and within seconds it had shattered.

"Right," he sipped his wine once more, "I didn't think so either." Her eyes had gone from blue to a bright red, her skin slowly morphed into a scary shade of gray and her long, black hair faded into blond. She wasn't human, she _was_ undead. Kahn hadn't expected this, but he was excited. Maybe the zombie sightings weren't falsified after all? After her transformation was complete, she rushed at him at full speed, aiming to sink her claws into his neck.

When his glass shattered on the tiled floor, it alarmed the twins in the foyer. Marcellus immediately turned towards the main hall, but before he could even think of heading in Kahn's direction, he was shot down by an unforeseen arrow. "Marcellus!" Marceline screamed out as she stood from her seat, but she was stopped by the sound of an arrow being drawn back in a bowstring. She could _feel_ it.

"One more step, little girl, and this arrow will pierce through the back of your skull." That voice sounded familiar, it was Cecelia. She didn't go for a glass of wine, she went for her bow.

"Is that so…?" Marceline gulped, she kept her eyes forward on her brother who was shot through the arm. She worried more for his safety than her own.

"Do you want to test me?" She drew the arrow back further.

Marceline paused for a moment, completely still, eyes closed. "I think I do." She didn't give Cecelia a chance to react. Marceline quickly flipped forward, kicking Cecelia's arm in the process and causing her to shoot her arrow up at the ceiling instead. Marceline has always been known for her swiftness, and she proved to Cecelia just how fast she truly was. She didn't have time to unsheathe her rapier, so as she landed, she swiftly roundhouse kicked Cecelia in the face, causing her to fly some distance across the room.

She would her land on her feet however, and quickly draw her bow once more. Just as Marceline was quick on her feet, Cecelia was quick with her bow. She shot a series of arrows at Marceline from across the room, but the female twin was able to either dodge or deflect each and every one of them with her rapier as she charged towards her. Cecelia realized that she was at a disadvantage; Marceline was simply too fast for to shoot. She pulled out another arrow, readied as normally, and waited for the female DeVille to gain some momentum. A yellow light emitted around the arrow this time, and when she shot it, it burst into a barrage of arrows all aiming at Marceline.

_The Great Hawk Rune_!? She did not see this coming and when she tried to stop her charge, she slipped. The only thing she could do to protect herself was cover her body as much as she can with her arms. This would do her no good against the oncoming arrows, she knew that, but she had no other choice. Just in the nick of time, her brother dashed in front of her and deflected the arrows with small gust of wind. With his arms still extended in front of him, he keeps up the small force field of air up to protect the two of them. His wound still bleeding, but not as much as it would have had he not healed it as much as he could. He turns he head towards his sister. "You're alright!?"

"We can't kill her." She was out of breath and relieved. She was sure her life was over.

"Oh. Right. I – uh – I knew that." He didn't, but now he knew he had to some way get that bow out of her hands.

From across the room, they could see Cecelia standing there with a terrifying grin on her face. So Marcellus is a magician, huh? Well, she had another trick up her sleeve as well. She held out her bow once more, but this time she did not ready an arrow. Instead, she placed her empty hand on the bow, and as she pulled back on the bowstring a shard of ice formed as if it were an arrow. She was using her water rune in place of her arrows; smart, very smart. She extended the bowstring back as far as it could go and when she released it, a large ice shard shot at the DeVilles. Marcellus would attempt to block it with a stone pillar that he raised from the ground, but it would not do him any good. The single shard multiplied and ignored him and went straight for Marceline. He turned back to protect his sister, but he was too late. They had hit her, and he had let his guard down. She dashed towards him and grabbed his arm to turn him back around before he could even think about running to his sister. With a knee to his jaw, she knocked him on the ground. She then stood on his throat and pulled out her last arrow and readied her bow once more. "Any last words before you meet your maker?" Her eyes were cold; Marcellus could do nothing but hold on to her foot to try to take some of the pressure off of his throat. He was done for.

Back in Madam Marianna's bedroom, Kahn freed himself from the demon's clutches and sent her flying across the room against the wall; the impact knocked her unconscious. Kahn picked himself up and dusted himself off, believing that he had won the battle. He was out of breath when he walked towards the demon's unconscious body. Without warning he was knocked clear across the room himself and hit his head against the wall. When he looked up, his vision was distorted, but he could make out a woman walking towards him with a massive shield in one hand and an axe in the other. _Fantastic_.

She gave him a few seconds to recover, it wasn't enough but she would not wait any longer. She charged at him once more in full speed, but he rolled out of the way. He leaped over the table in the center of the room and threw three scrolls at her. She caught them with her shield and used it to safeguard herself from the small, fiery explosions. He used this moment to unsheathe his sword to fight her head on; this would prove to be a mistake. Her axe was massive and one swing knocked his sword clear across the room. He had to think of another way or else his life would end in that room. She swung again, but he flipped backwards, dodging the attack. He spent most of the battle trying not to get hit instead of trying to hit her. She was powerful, but also fast; a deadly combination. She swung at his feet and he flipped over her head, placing a scroll on her forehead in the process. When he landed, he caught her glaring up at her forehead, not moving, breathing heavily. She was terrified, so terrified that she didn't notice him approach her. All it took was one hit to the side of her head with the metal lantern and she fell to the floor unconscious. "It was a blank, you imbecile." He mocked her as he dusted off himself once more. This time he would check for any more uninvited guests before he approached the unconscious demon yet again.

Out in the foyer, Cecelia extended the arrow on the bowstring as far as she could, and put extra weight on the foot she had on Marcellus' throat, but in an instant her murderous intent faded. Her eyes had gone from cold to greatly confused. "Wh-what am I doing?"

"I haven't a clue, but could you reevaluate your life choices once you've removed your foot from my throat!?" Marcellus pleaded as he struggled to breathe.

"Oh! Sorry!" She quickly removed her foot and offered to help him stand, but he refused. He got up on his own and quickly went over to his sister's aid. She was wounded, but most of her wounds were superficial. He healed her using the power of his cyclone rune and the Marley boy made his way out of the main chambers to inform the team of what had happened. Madam Marianna was a demon and she had somehow indoctrinated everyone into doing her bidding. Cecelia, the unconscious woman in the main chamber, and many of the others they met at the warehouse were all under her control. This explained their actions, and their manner of speaking, but it did not explain why the mayor's daughter was missing.

"I know where she is." The timid voice of the little girl who handed Marceline the note came from behind them. She stood at the entrance of the villa, shaken by the events that have just unfolded. Her eyes widened in terror as everyone's attention was drawn to her, but she would show them the way.


	4. Chapter 4: Unholy Matrimony

_Author's__ Note: Sooooooooooooooooo this is my last chapter to this Kahn Marley story. I had a great time writing it and I just wanted to give the Marley boy a little recognition since there was seriously lack of it. It's a bit long this chapter, but I had a lot to say when ending it. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you all let me know what you think after reading it. Thank you for hanging in there with me. :) _

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Chapter 4  
Unholy Matrimony

The hunter's camp was oddly quiet that evening. A few of them sparred in the open field while some sat at the cafeteria awaiting their supper. Father Marley sat at his desk going through the many reports that found their way into his office, trying to decipher between false claims and legitimate cause for concern. A female hunter would grant him that much needed distraction as she barged into his tent, accompanied by Pierre Monroe, with important news. They have received a report from one of Monroe's _reliable_ sources in Morton City. "Well you see, the zombie claims were false alarms," Pierre started with great enthusiasm. His arms flailed about as he spoke, normally this would amuse everyone, but not tonight. "The Mayor's assistant falsely claimed the attacks because he wanted to put a stop to a group of young adults who appeared to have a cult-like worship of the undead. They were a rowdy bunch – um, drinking and partying to all hours of the night; harmless really. But there was more –"

"My patience is running thin here, Monroe." Father Marley interrupted Pierre's very passionate over-explanation; his index and middle fingers pressed firmly against his temple.

"Ah, right! Well, you see –" He cleared his throat before he began. It took him a while to explain, he'd often trail off into other topics, but he got his information out. The mayor's daughter had been reported missing, more like kidnapped. This news did not seem to appease the senior Marley. So the mayor's daughter is missing, so what? This news is important enough to alert law enforcement in Morton City, but not him. Pierre paused for a moment, realizing that the Senior Marley wasn't catching on. He cleared his throat, "this girl: red hair, comes from a prominent family – a teenager with a spitfire personality."

Her description got his attention; his eyes widened as they darted up towards Pierre. "Are you sure?" He asked. There was definitely a bit of panic in his voice.

"Sure as the stars shine in the clear skies." Pierre retorted with huge grin; it was creepy and unnecessary. The head of the Marley hunters would say no more. He quickly rushed from his desk to gather the remaining hunters. They will make their way to Morton City at full haste. He could only pray that his son and his friends were still safe.

-o0o-

"I know where they've taken her." The little girl's voice was full of fear and uncertainty. She was terrified and it was evident that she had been for quite some time now. She looked upon them as if they were giants and she was an ant. She wanted to run, she could have, but she wanted to help…for some reason she wanted to help.

Marceline kneeled down next to her. "It's okay." She reassured the little girl with a hand on her shoulder as she tried to back away from the female twin. Her eyes, her voice, her touch comforted her for some reason. She was not afraid of Marceline, she could trust her. She informed them that before the party, Lilith was inside Madam Marianna's chambers and she left with a group of strange men with strange faces. "Where did they take her?" Marceline asked with her hand still on the little girl's shoulders.

"The old cathedral." Her lips trembled as she spoke, her eyes locked on Marceline's. She looked like a small puppy awaiting punishment, but she would not be punished. She did no wrong; she helped just like she wanted to.

"The old cathedral is just outside the city." Cecelia spoke as she collected her arrows. "I'm going too; I'll show you the way."

"I don't think that's–" Kahn started as he readjusted his hat.

"Tell me I can't come with you." She stepped close to Marley and looked up at him; unafraid, defiant. "Go on, tell me and I'll go there by myself and leave you all here. It's my fault she's there. I was the one who invited her here." She leaned in closer, her voice deepened and hardened. "So I dare you to tell me I can't come with you."

The Marley boy gulped, his eyes followed hers. She was serious and she would not let up without a fight. He did not want to involve outsiders, but right now he had little choice. He sighed, "After you, my dear." That was all he could say. They would leave this villa as soon as possible. They would travel back to Morton City and set the little girl up in their room, she fell fast asleep as soon as her head touched her pillow. Now on to the old cathedral for whatever awaits them.

-o0o-

The old cathedral was once a place where the people would worship their gods and goddesses and where they buried their dead, but now it stood abandoned, unused for what seemed like centuries from the looks of it. It was a grand cathedral, standing one hundred and eleven meters long and 50 meters wide; they could see it from a great distance away. Cecelia led the gang as she attempted to explain Madam Marianna's influence of them. She couldn't really explain it. Well, not in a way that they'd understand. Madam Marianna prayed on youth who had – or thought they had nowhere else to run to. Children who have been abandoned, those who ran away in fear, or those who simply wished to no longer live under their parents rules. She promised them freedom, but there was a cost. There's always a cost.

They wouldn't notice the cost, however. They never see it coming. They are introduced, they dance, they drink, they worship, and then they forget. Cecelia had forgotten. There were large chunks of time that escaped her that she found impossible to recollect. She ran away from home to escape the pressure of her father's archery lessons – he wanted a boy of whom he could mold to one day take over his archery academy. When his wife had a girl instead, he wasn't disappointed, but he wasn't as happy as he could have been. He put on the pressure to make her "as good as the boys" he said. Though his intense training molded her to be an amazing archer, she resented her father for this. He did not see her as his child, in her eyes, but a tool, an investment. So she ran away. She ran so far away into the arms of someone who offered her a life of her own. But she was deceived. They were all deceived.

"Here it is" Cecelia spoke as she pointed at the building that stood tall a short distance ahead of them. Calling it the "old cathedral" was misleading. It was beyond old and abandoned. It was in ruins almost. It looked as if a slight gust of wind would see the building in pieces, but it was even more massive up close.

"I suppose Lilith is to be inside?" Marceline inquired.

"That's what the kid said." Kahn responded as he readjusted his hat. The team approached the large double doors and slowly stepped inside, but not before bracing themselves for what may be found inside. More cultists? Sure if that were the case, Marianna's influence over them would have subsided by now as it did with Cecelia. But you can never be too careful, right? The interior did not match the exterior. Inside was…_beautiful_. The floors were marbled, black and white, as well as the sculptures that decorated the long hall. They would have marveled at the beautiful décor, but they were distracted by something else. A sound. A melody. An organ?

The music's origin came from the back of the long hall that was closed off by a single door. Was it Emily? Marceline glanced over in Kahn's direction almost accidentally. She had no reason to, so did not properly observe his sudden change in demeanor. He was cautious – no, not cautious. He was…frightened? She quickly looked back at him once she caught on to the sign of concern in his eyes. She's never seen the Marley boy this way. He looked as if he wanted to run away but he couldn't. He had no choice but to press on. But he did have a choice. He could leave. They weren't on official business, they were hunters not babysitters. He could go back home, but for some reason he pressed on despite his obvious discomfort. Something struck fear inside of him, but what?

The room was extremely generous when it came to space and it was staged for a wedding; rows of long, wooden benches lined up the left and right side of wall, and a red carpeted isle that led straight to the groom and his bride. He did not once discontinue playing the organ. His head full of short black hair moved from side to side in a sort of trance as his pale fingers bashed on the keys creating a beautiful melody. He wore a black cloak with a collar that stood as tall as the middle of the back of his head; and the bride? Oh, Emily was beautiful as ever in her white gown; her red hair done up perfectly. She stood next to him, her body trembled in fear and her face looked as if she had seen a ghost. Her breathing was heavy and short, but she tried her best to keep it silent. She did not speak, she barely even blinked. Her eyes were as open as they could be as she stared at the gang from across the room and through the tears of her silent sobbing the only then she was able to do was slowly mouth the words "Help. Me."

The DeVilles were ready to attack, as was Cecelia, but it was a different story for the Marley boy. He was petrified, but why? Kahn Marley wasn't known to scare easily. He made his way through a zombie infested village in the middle of the night on his own. He's taken down countless of the undead; he's been an apprentice hunter under one of – if not the best. So who was this man who could bring fear to a Marley? He didn't know for a fact, but he could take a good guess as to who the man that stood before him was. He fit the description, at least for behind, he could not be wrong.

"N-Ne-Nec-Nec…" Behind the heavy breathing, he couldn't even say his name. It was if he had forgotten how to speak around the same time had forgotten how to stand on his own two feet. His body was trembling and he couldn't take his eyes off the man playing the organ. Just like Emily, he too looked as if he had seen a ghost. His breathing was hallow and shaken, and his eyes were as wide as they could be. Who _was_ this man?

"Neclord." The man finished it for him as he stopped playing the organ. The twins shot each other a look – this was the man, the man who started it all, the man responsible for the deaths of their family and friends; this was Neclord, the Neclord. He stood up from his seat to face his guests with a sadistic grin on his face. His pale, white skin, his blood red eyes, he was terrifying. The way he looked at them, Marceline felt it. She felt the fear that ran through the Marley boy. Her face went pale as her eyes locked onto the man that stood before them.

He smiled. "Yes, my name is Neclord and I bid you all a warm welcome as you bear witness to my – _our_ special day." He placed his arm around Emily and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She tried her best to keep her composure, to not upset him. She didn't know who he was, but she could tell he was dangerous; anyone could. She did not want him to hurt her. "You see, tonight's my wedding and –"

Marcellus had had enough. He watched as his sister and the Marley boy froze themselves in fear and he had enough of it. He rushed towards him, completely done with the fake pleasantries, and was smacked back with a shockwave sent by the groom. With a flick of his wrist, Neclord sent a shockwave that lifted Marcellus off the ground and threw backwards, landing in front of his sister that brought her out of her state of shock as she called out to her injured brother. Cecelia readied her bow, but she did not shoot. She watched and waited.

"Tsk, tsk. It is not in good manners to interrupt the groom during his speech." Neclord spoke, still grinning from ear to ear. "It is my day after all. You will have your turn to speak when the ceremony is over. But –" he paused for a moment as the wooden doors flew opened once more. "Ah, yes… now that my guests of honor have arrived we may get started."

"Neclord!" That voice sounded familiar but was never heard with such an angry tone. The twins looked back towards the entrance and were met with a surprise: the senior Marley and entire hunter's camp made their way down the hall towards them. There were not many, there never was. The hunters' ranks had dwindled in the last decade. Some left while most were completely killed off. Hearing his father's voice brought the Marley boy back to life. He realized his fear of Neclord is what drove him to be the best hunter he could be. He stood up as his father approached him, determined to finally prove himself. They all slowly approached Neclord, some hunters had their crossbows ready while others unsheathed their swords. Marceline noticed the two hunters they trained with during their initiation were present as well; the male hunter appeared just as savage as he did before.

"Not so fast there." Neclord held up one finger, requesting the approaching hunters to stop." Now that you're all here, I thought it would be courteous to grant you all a gift of my appreciation." He snapped his finger, the sound echoed throughout the massive hall. The hall fell quiet as they awaited Neclord's _gift_, knowing that nothing from this man – this demon could be good. Suddenly a knock could be heard underneath the wooden floorboard; then several. It didn't take long for them to figure out what his gift was as decaying hands clawed their way through the rotten floorboard in unison. . "And now it's a party!" Neclord declared with his arms high above his head in excitement. The team and the rest of the hunters stood in the middle of the isle, surrounded by the walking corpses of people who had once populated Morton City. They were dressed in formal wear fit for the wedding.

"Neclord!" Kahn's father called out to him once more. This anger in his voice could not be covered. Neclord tilted his head as he turned to him, as if trying to remember him. "You know," he was calmer now, "my family has dedicated their lives to pursuing you. You've taken so much from them – from us – and we've made it our mission to put an end to you and your kind. Half of the zombies we've slain were our ancestors, I know this. Your people began killing off the Marley clan like the plague. You were vicious, you were monstrous, but you don't scare me. You don't strike fear into my soul like you may for the rest. When I look at you, all I see is a pathetic criminal, a thief, a kidnapper, and a leech that needs to be slain. I remember the last time I saw you," he unsheathed his sword, "you were killing my father. You were making him into one of you, and you watched in amusement as he attacked his only son." His eyes began to tear up a little and his voice cracked but he tried his best to keep a straight face. "You ran like the coward you are as I had to slay my own father." He pointed his sword towards the vampire. "And now I'm here to finally slay you."

Neclord watched him, unmoved by his speech. "Hmm…such a big speech for such a small man." He started. "You Marleys have always had as much intelligence as you did manners."

"I know your secret and it will be your downfall." Said Kahn's father. "Let us end this tonight!"

"So eager, are we?" Neclord grinned. "It's a pity I can't stay to entertain you any longer. But I won't leave you here empty-handed." He snapped his fingers once more and even more zombies began to appear from beneath the floorboard; and the vampire? He was long gone.

Kahn's father quickly turned to his son and put his hand on his shoulder. "This is it, my boy. The four of you stand your ground down here. Neclord couldn't have gotten too far –"

"But father, I –"

"There's no time for this, my boy. When you're done with your prey, feel free to join in on our dance." Kahn's eyes brightened as they locked on to his father's. He would finally fight alongside his father and he couldn't wait. This was it. This was the final battle; Neclord versus the vampire hunters. "Waylon, Mya, Anders – the rest of you, with me!"

"Aye, sir" they said in unison, inspired by his speech.

"The four of you do be careful." They nodded in agreement and Kahn's father took off with the hunters to face the vampire they've been after for so long.

-o0o-

The Marley boy, the DeVilles, and Cecelia stood surrounded by undead, and more of them were finding their way to the surface each minute. Kahn was anxious, he finally came into contact with the vampire he's heard so much about and he's down here with his lackeys. He didn't like that. He never did, but tonight he finally understood. The team stood with their backs pressed against each other, bracing themselves and planning for their attack. The zombies stepped forward slowly. They could leave them here and join the hunters, but the zombies were no longer alone; shadowmen, sorcerers, walking skeletons all decided to join the party. They leave them here and they could find their way into Morton City. No, they had to be dealt with first.

Marcellus glanced at his sister. They've fought together always. They were inseparable on the battlefield. Some believed it was because they were twins that they had some kind of psychic link between them, a link that allowed them to forgo verbal messages. They were in synch, not _because_ they were twins, but because they've never had any other choice but to work together. Tonight they would prove that – or they hoped. He looked at her for only moment before she picked up on his signal. Message sent. She unsheathed her rapier and he held on to his staff. It was time for battle.

One of the undead rushed towards Marceline; he looked as if he were an old man when his life came to an end, maybe a bishop? Marceline readied herself but she did not get a chance to strike. Within seconds the man – or what was once a man – found his forehead pierced by an arrow sent from Cecelia's bow. Marceline gave her a thankful nod as she rushed into the battle and was joined by the Marley boy. Marcellus and Cecelia stayed in the back, hoping to support their comrades from the rear, but that was impossible. They were surrounded and Marcellus had to dust off his melee skills and fend off a female zombie. He used his staff as one would use a bo staff. He wasn't too bad at it either. Mages – or those who prefer to fight with magic – were often considered physically weak, but he did not fit the stereotype. He was no Marceline, no Marley, but he was decent enough to handle himself if someone got too close.

He bashed in the soft, decomposing flesh that made up her face and sent her flying across the room. The other zombies – at least five of them – were offended by this and decided to rush towards him, moaning in unison. He hit the bottom tip of his staff on the ground, immediately creating spikes of solid stone that trailed from the point of impact to the zombies rushing towards him; they didn't stand a chance, their bodies were impaled. Cecelia was good at what she did. Her skills with the bow were tremendous and she could shoot just as accurately in rapid succession as someone could if they took the time to focus their shot. She shot not one, not two, not three, but ten zombies who tried to make their way towards her; all straight through their foreheads. She retreated to the back of the room and jumped atop a wooden bench to give herself a bit of leverage. A group of undead followed close behind, but it was to no avail. She leaped for the wooden bench and with her great hawk rune she took out the group with a barrage of arrows at light speed.

The Marley boy found himself clashing swords with a skeleton. It swung its sword in quick succession and tried it's best to bash Kahn's head in with its red shield. Kahn wasn't a novice on the battlefield, of course, he could handle a reanimated skeleton like the pros and he showed that by successfully defending himself against two. A spear came out of nowhere, but Kahn could sense its arrival. He ducked quickly and the spear-wielding skeleton unintentionally forced its spear through the ribcage of the skeleton with the sword and shield, causing it to shatter into a pile of bones. Kahn smirked and lopped off the head of the remaining skeleton; its head rolled across the floor next to Marceline who was busy fending off skeletons of her own.

They would attack and she would deflect their attack and attack in one single swoop. Fire coated her blade as she pieced through the skulls of the skeletons with her rapier. The fire rune her brother gave her to embed in her sword came in handed and she would always be grateful for it. The second skeleton came up to her with a spear and she quickly deflected its attack and scorched the skull as she pierced through its head. A roundhouse kick saw the head of the sword and shield wielding skeleton fly off and crack when it hit the marbled floor. A cluster of skeletons saw an opening in Marceline's defenses and decided to take advantage of it. Marceline turned around to counter their attack, but she was cut off when an icy aura emitted around where they stood and they found themselves frozen solid; a treat brought to it by Cecelia's water rune. Within seconds the ice cracked and shattered, leaving the skeletons in pieces along with it.

He let his guard down for a split second and a spear wielding skeleton took that as an opportunity to attack. It was mistaken, Kahn quickly disarmed the skeleton, earning himself a nice, blue spear, and used it to dismantle his advisory. He was trained with a sword, but he was decent with many weapons – decent enough that is. He twirled the spear arrogantly and took down two more skeletons and four undead with it before the wooden shaft of the poorly crafted spear gave out on him; he discarded it by throwing the spearhead through a zombies face. It was finished.

-o0o-

Emily did not escape with Neclord, he left her there to die. She huddled in the corner of the room, trying her best to be as unnoticeable as possible, to be forgotten. She covered her head with her arms in terror and flinched when something came near her. She suddenly found herself regretting her decision to leave home. She wanted to go back, she pleaded to the gods to allow her to return to the comfort of her own bedroom. She wanted to see her mother, to hug her, to apologize, to make amends. She knew they wouldn't. She knew that even if she made it out of here, her mother would never back down and neither would she. They were just alike and that thought would have put a smile on her face if she weren't already preoccupied with being terrified.

A zombie crashed and burned right in front of her causing her to let out a squeal she regretted seconds later. They were now aware of her presence, something she tried so hard to conceal. Three shadowmen stood across the room from her, eyeing her down. She could see them, she could see their intent, but she could not move. They were wrapped in a grey cloth, dirtied by the mud just outside the cathedral. Their bodies suddenly disappeared and the cloth fell flat on the ground. She looked upon them with confusion, not realizing their shadow approaching her with such haste that even if she wanted to, she couldn't escape. This was it for her, she thought. She closed her eyes and accepted her fate. She was a dead girl, or she would have been if Marcellus hadn't blocked the shadows' advance with a stone pillar he raised out of the ground to protect her. The shadowmen were a dangerous lot. While they could move perfectly in their grey cloak, they preferred to attack with their shadows. They were feared and for good reason, but Marcellus wasn't a man who allowed himself to succumb to fear. Not tonight, not ever, but how does one defeat a shadow?

"Attack the shadows!" Kahn yelled from across the room. Attack the shadows? Marcellus thought his command was nonsense. How can one harm a shadow? But he hadn't the time to argue, he would attack the shadow as the Marley boy commanded. He watched the Shadowmen closely; their every move was under observation. There! He found exactly what he was looking for. With his hand extended out in front of him, he used his earth rune to conjured three large spikes and sent them towards the shadows. They would not hit the shadowmen directly, no, they were aimed at the trail the shadowmen left between their shadows and the grey cloaks they wore that laid flat on the ground. They weren't ordinary shadow monsters, there was no such thing as an ordinary shadow monster, but they were not exactly as Marcellus had thought them to be.

The spikes pierced through the trailed left by the shadows and lodged themselves into the floor. Just like he thought, the shadowmen were stuck. They could not further advance towards him and they could not retreat back to their cloaks. Kahn had reached Marcellus' location and removed a large scroll from his jacket pocket. He held it out before him and closed his eyes. The scroll began to emit electricity and within seconds a massive jolt of lightning rushed out from the scroll and found its way to the three shadowmen. Its trail was made obvious by the massive scar it left in the flooring. The shadowmen were defeated by electrocution. Marcellus laughed to himself at the idea of electrocuting a shadow.

Emily did not find it as funny. She was still huddled in the corner as terrified as ever. The shadowmen came inches away from ending her life and all she could do was close her eyes. She wasn't a fighter, and she wouldn't pretend to be, but maybe just maybe she could do…something? She told herself to move. Just move. But she did not listen. She couldn't, these weren't people trying to mug her of her jewels. These were monsters, monsters she'd not seen before. She could die here and that thought remained on her mind the entire time. "Are you alright?" That voice sounded familiar to her. She remembered enjoying hearing the voice as well as she enjoyed looking at the person it belonged to. Marcellus extended his hand out to her to help her to her feet. She looked at him for a brief moment in disbelief. She wanted to take his hand and jump into his arms, but she took too long. Was she savoring the moment, her knight in shining armor coming to her rescue? Or was she so terrified that she simply couldn't move? Either way she savored the moment for far too long because Marcellus was rushed by a horde of undead and he instructed Emily to take cover for a little longer. He wouldn't let harm come to her, none of them would. He would try his very best to secure her safety. Part of the reason was because he really didn't want to have to deal with the mayor's horrendous sobbing again if they returned with bad news.

-o0o-

The team had been doing exceptionally well for themselves. The number of enemies had dwindled down to a little more than a few but Kahn seemed rather distracted. He has heard nothing from his father and the other hunters in so long that he couldn't even force himself concentrate. In between looking in the direction his father ran off to, completely distracted, he slayed the _thing_ that was once a young man before he retreated backwards to regroup with the rest of the team. They all stood back to back, contemplating their next move, but Kahn appeared even more distracted. It became obvious, annoyingly obvious for Marcellus, how distracted he was and they all could guess why: He wanted – no, he needed to know how his father was doing. Was he still alive? Was Neclord dead? Or was there still an intense battle going on between the hunters and the very man that started it all? It didn't matter which it was, Kahn needed to know and he needed to know soon.

He didn't need to speak of his thoughts, they were written all over his face. He opened his mouth to speak but Marcellus cut him off with exactly what he needed to hear. "Go!" Marcellus commanded.

"Are you certain?" Kahn asked. He wanted so badly to accept Marcellus' offer without question, but he needed them to know that he didn't want to leave them behind, but this was his family. This was his father.

"You're in the way, Marley! We don't need you." Marcellus barked and rather harshly, but Kahn knew him well enough to know that Marcellus was encouraging him to go to his family. He knew the Marley boy needed to know. He needed to find his father. He needed to face the man who caused his family so much pain for decades. Kahn looked upon him, moved by Marcellus' version of kindness. He thanked him before setting off to join in on their dance. Marcellus was right, he didn't need him; the undead infestation had nearly been exterminated, and because of that Emily had been cleared to escape and Cecelia would escort her. She did not fight the DeVilles' request. Emily was their target and her safety was most important, but what of Neclord? She had to remember that she, unlike the rest, had no resentment towards him; she hadn't even known who he was, but she knew he was extremely dangerous. She grabbed Emily's hand and the two of them bolted down the hallway while the twins continued what little was left of their battle, but she didn't get very far. The twins could hear a large crash right outside the cathedral and the screams of three individuals. They could tell two of the screams came from Cecelia and Emily, but what of the third? It didn't even sound human.

The twins reached the exit and what they discovered horrified them. A large – what was it, an abomination? – stood outside the cathedral's entrance. The third scream? Scream wasn't an accurate description, maybe a screech? Its mouth was wide open with drool that could fill barrels escaping it. Its body was rather disfigured, having a small body but large arms of which it balanced itself. Its claws were covered in blood and the twins knew that could mean nothing good for them. Was it Emily? Emily had fallen to her knees due to the injuries she received from the beast. Her entire left forearm was covered in blood and she cried hysterically. The twins assumed it was due to the pain from her injuries but that was not the case; it was Cecelia, she did not make it.

By the look of her disfigured body, they knew the bulk of the blood on the abomination's claws belonged to her. She never made it back to her family and she'll never know just how proud her father truly was of her. And if he wasn't already, he surely would be now. She sacrificed her life to save the mayor's daughter. She knew the twins would save her. She apologized to Emily just moments before the demon attacked. Maybe she sensed it? No, if she had she would have been prepared to fight – to stall it to give Emily time to run. She put herself in between the demon's sharp talons and a teenage girl. Her father would be proud of her selflessness and that's all she ever wanted.

The abomination growled at the twins but it did not attack. Marcellus took to the front lines as means of a distraction – he wouldn't attack either – while Marceline ran over to comfort the grieving Emily. She had quickly gone from sadness and guilt to anger with a thirst for revenge. She clutched the bow that once belonged to her friend and she demanded the twins to allow her to assist them, Marcellus wouldn't allow. "Get out of here!" He barked. "Go! Now!"

"I can fight! I-I swear it, I can fight!" She pleaded with him.

"I said get out of here!" He did not believe her bluff.

"I can fight…" she said to Marceline who kneeled down next to her. Marceline was easier to talk to than her twin brother. She had more compassion, more empathy, and wouldn't dismiss someone's wishes without first explaining her reason.

"You're injured." She replied.

"He – He could heal me. I've seen his magic! He could heal me."

"He could, but he won't."

"What!?" The disgust in her tone could not be masked. "He would see me bleed to death!?"

"There was a little girl at Marianna's villa, do you remember her?"

"A little…?" She thought about it for a moment. "I think I do."

"She's resting at the inn in Morton City, she has no family to return to and if we don't make it out of here –"

"You'll make it out alive!"

"Then take care of her for us and meet us back at the inn. Please."

Emily stared into Marceline's eyes for a moment then she looked towards Marcellus who was turned away from them. "He's…he's really a good man, isn't it?" She asked after realizing Marcellus' intent on demanding that she escaped. Marceline responded with a fatigued smile and a nod.

"Go!" Marcellus barked once more and this time Emily complied with his demands and ran off towards the city as the sun began to rise. His sister made her next to him. "It's just you and me now, are you ready?" He asked while clutching his staff.

"I am. Are scared?"

"Yes. You?"

"No."

"…Right. Neither am I."

-o0o-

A catacomb could be found in the far end of the cathedral; the Marley boy discovered it accidentally after stumbling across a false door in the very back of the main hall. This must have been where they kept their dead, the very same that plagued the upper levels. The corridor would prove too dark for him to venture through without some form of light. He conjured a small flame and used what was left of the broken spear shaft to create a torch to guide his way. The Marley boy ran his fingers along the engravings on the wall, silently relaying the story to himself that was being told. It was of the origin of vampires – well some misinformed scholar's variation of the story – it started with the Blue Moon Rune that took possession of a young man whose soul was full of darkness He became something known as a vampire, a soulless creature who fed off of the living. The gods would condemn him for his actions, banishing him from the holy lands. He then used his influence to gain a following, others who he had cursed with vampirism, to plague the holy lands with darkness; thus starting a war.

The gods would, of course, prevail. In stories such as this, the pure would always win over the corrupted. He was defeated and his death brought an end to the hundred year old war. The story was false for sure. Although Kahn didn't exactly know the origin himself, he knew this wasn't the story. It had started with a woman over eight hundred years ago who was possessed by the moon rune. She fled to isolate herself from the world, unhappy with the life she now had to live and the killing that came with it. More people like her could find her place of solitude and they would form a small village. This woman started it all; she played an important part in creating the demon in which he pursued, the dark lord known as Neclord.

The long corridors were so cool, Kahn could see his breath. He must have gotten deeper inside because he could no longer hear the sound of clashing steel from his comrades, but he also couldn't hear anything from the hunters. Barring the crackling sounds of the fire, it was quiet; a little too quiet. He thought back to a time before when the quiet meant peace, it brought him happiness. Now it was definitely cause for concern. He had to pick up the pace. He had to find his father.

-o0o-

The twins tried their hardest to take down the beast, but it was proving too much for them. None of their usual tactics worked – the quick Marceline as the distraction while her brother, the mage, did what he did best. This wouldn't work, he did not focus on a single person at a time, and its attention was on the both of them. This would normally work in one's favor, but not this time. This time it worked to its advantage. When one stepped forward, it charged, and when they stepped back it charged some more. Its screech felt if it could deafen a person hundreds of meters away; this also gave it more of an advantage, but the twins would not give up. If they were to die here, if they were to see their mother again, they would surely die fighting. One thing that could possibly see its downfall was the simple fact that it wasn't very bright. It did not think, it attacked indiscriminately, but it did not think. It was an abomination, a monster created from pure darkness. It was not human and they were uncertain if it ever was. They've seen it all, zombies, vampires, creatures that attacked from the shadows _with_ their shadows, this monster before them did not surprise them. They were prepared.

Marcellus tried his best to play the role as decoy for his twin sister. She would have to attack within close proximity, where he from afar. He needed her to survive this, if she died then so would he, but he didn't care for himself – he needed her to survive this. His earth rune did nothing for him, he couldn't possibly think of a way to effectively use it against the beast unless he was on the defense; but what of his cyclone rune? Anything worth using would be too dangerous with his sister so close to it and him. What to do? What to do? Come on, think of something! He replayed that message over and over in his head as he tried to dig his mind out of the hole it apparently had fell in. It hit him, a plan. He didn't need to speak, they were connected. All he had to do was look at her and by the gestures he made, she knew – or at least had some form of a clue as to what her brother might have been planning. She had no time to clarify, she would take that chance. She would trust her brother as she always had.

The decoy idea he had before was solid, but it was unplanned. Now he knew what he had to do. The look Marceline gave him meant she knew that whatever he had planned could see the end of him. She did not like it, of course she didn't, but she could not protest. Not now anyway, but even if she did her brother wouldn't listen; she knew this. He conjured spikes made of solid stone that hovered over his head, and with a flick of his staff they shot towards the abomination at a very high speed. He knew they would do nothing to it, nothing substantial anyway, but he also knew that it could cause a tear in its flesh. That was enough to gain it's attention, to anger it, to get it away from his sister and bring it towards him. He was right, but what now? In a matter of seconds the charging beast would reach him and surely kill him, so what now, Marcellus?

It was the look in his eyes and gave the female twin the confidence in her brother that she needed. He knew exactly what he was doing, but would he be quick enough? The beast was getting close, too close, and Marcellus had yet to move. _Move, Marcellus!_ She thought to herself. _Please, please move!_ He couldn't move, no… he wouldn't move. He had a plan for the beast and he was certain it would work out. Marcellus was known for his bluffing when it came to these things. He once challenged his instructor to an impromptu magic duel after being punished for disobeying his wishes during a demonstration. He was yelled at, humiliated as he would say, in front of the entire class and it did not set well with him. Without thinking, he challenged the instructor and the two of them dueled for what seemed like hours. There was no victor, but if the battle went on any longer Marcellus surely would have been defeated. It was his bluffing that granted him the privileged of being tied with his instructor. He was drained, he used far too much of his magic and had no fuel left in his tank, but he didn't show it. He refused to show any sign of defeat and because of that his instructor gained much respect for him and made him into his top apprentice.

But this wasn't a magic duel in some academy courtyard, this was truly life and death and Marcellus had to know – really know if he stood a chance, and he honestly believed he did. He stood tall, confident and unmoved as the beast charged towards him. He closed his eyes and timed his reaction just right. As the beast got closer it tried to attack him with its claws. Marcellus closed his eyes and it seemed as if he accepted his fate, but he did not. As soon as the demon's claws reached too close for comfort a massive pillar made of stone formed in between the two of them and it trapped the beast's deformed arm. "Marceline, now!" Marcellus screamed out as he jumped backwards; he would never admit how fast his heart was racing.

The female twin took advantage in this opening and dashed towards the monster. Her rapier, now coated with flame once more, was unsheathed and directed towards the enemy. When she got close enough, Marcellus raised a small pillar out of the ground to give her enough momentum to leap into the air. When she was at the peak of her jump, her body began somersaulting in rapid succession. It was beautiful, the flames that coated her sword made it seem as if she were a giant ball of flame as she flipped in midair. She came down just as fast and when she did she sliced right through the arm of the demon that was lodged in stone. It let out a horrid shriek as it rolled backwards in pain from losing its arm. It was down but it was not defeated, not yet.

Marceline leaped back towards her brother and stood next to him. He gave her a look, a look that indicated that she was ready to witness what will happen next and her brother gave her a look that indicated that he was ready to perform the next act. With a smirk on his face he lifted his staff up into the air and swung it around in a circular motion above his head. As he did this, the winds picked up majorly. He ended his dance by directing the staff towards the injured beast and with it a massive tornado descended from the heavens and destroyed everything in its path; 'everything' being the abomination. Marceline held on to her brother as the winds became too uncontrollably dangerous for her. The beast let out a shriek once more, but this one seemed like it lasted for a lifetime. When the tornado stopped the shrieking did as well. There was nothing left of the demon, another victim of the shredding.

-o0o-

Beneath the cathedral and far into the catacomb, Kahn made his way into a wide opened area, a staircase led to a lower level but the room was otherwise empty. What could be down there? His father? Neclord? The other hunters? What awaited him at the bottom of the stairwell? He wanted to take his time, to descend the stairs with caution but the silence remained a great concern for him. The catacomb could not have gone on much further, where is the fighting? Where are the sounds of steel meeting flesh, of crossbow arrows darting across the area, or the battle cries of the other hunters? And what of Neclord? Surely he could not have been defeated so easily. His father had told him tales of the personified darkness known as Neclord. The horror stories alone gave him reason to know that he could not have been so easily defeated. Were they even down here? Did he go the wrong way? Anxiety began to run its course within the Marley boy and he darted down the stairs as fast as he could, no longer concerned about what awaited him – zombies, skeletons, demon lords, Neclord's rumored mistress, Neclordia, none of it mattered to him anymore. He needed to find his father; he needed to reach the hunters.

The staircase led to more long corridors with beautiful engravings on the wall, but Kahn paid them no attention this time. He took as many shortcuts as he could to get through the halls, leaping through openings in a wall instead of taking the doors or jumping through holes instead of taking the stairs. The further he ran, the more he became terrified of what he might find, but he was also celebratory as well. His conflicted feelings of victory or defeat gave him the nastiest headache that he had to stop for a moment to nurse it. He removed his hat and pressed his fingers against his temple and that's when he heard it – sound, muffled voices coming from somewhere within the catacomb – somewhere close. He imagined it was his father, giving a victory speech to the other hunters after successfully slaying the demon. Or maybe he was giving the speech to Neclord moments before he used his sword to remove his head from his body. Maybe it was Neclord, a bloody mess pleading for his life one last time before the hunters put an end to it. What if Neclord is winning? What if the hunters need Kahn to come save them? This idea pleased him, he kept running and kept imagining the look in his father's eyes when he swoops down in some ridiculously heroic fashion and saves the day.

He would surely get his wish, he would swoop down but there will be no day to save. The excitement in his eyes quickly faded into horror, disgust, and sadness when he found himself standing before the bodies of the hunters he once called friends. His heart stopped at that moment, and after what he saw next he swore it would never start again. His father wasn't as lucky as the rest to die so quickly. He stood facing his only child and gasping for whatever breath he had left in him. He didn't want his son to see him this way, he knew it would cause the Marley boy so much pain to see his father's life slipping before his very eyes, but tonight he would be selfish. He wanted to see his son one last time. He wanted to tell him that he was proud of him, that he did not hold him back from hunting because of Kahn's inability to do so or because he lacked the skills, but because he was his father; as his father, he would try to protect him from any and everything until he had reached his days of old age. Unfortunately he wouldn't get that chance; not tonight, not ever. He coughed one last time and blood spilled from his mouth and on to the ground; a few seconds later his body followed it, he would never get back up again.

Kahn couldn't believe what he had witnessed. He could hear himself breathe and his was beating so loud it sounded as if someone was playing drums right behind him. At least it started again, right? Wrong. This couldn't have been happening, it was all a dream. Wake…up…Wake up. Wake up, Marley…please. Tears ran down his cheeks as he pleaded with himself, but there was no escaping the reality that played out before him; the smells, the sounds, the feeling within him could not have been fantasy. That fact was made obvious when the sound of sadistic laughing broke the silence the Marley boy had worked himself into. The man he referred to as the Dark Demon Lord for so many years stood before him, laughing, mocking the hunters who fought so hard to protect the people they loved. He mocked the people whose lives he stole, he mocked Kahn who stood before him terrified, wanting to run but couldn't move, and he mocked Kahn's father who fought to protect Kahn and the rest of the world from the vampire's dark influence. He mocked him, laughed at his lifeless body that fell right in front of him.

The terror in Kahn's eyes quickly changed into rage and he was given a new thirst for revenge. He charged towards the vampire, but not before challenging him using profane language. He removed a handful of scrolls from his pocket – five to be exact, each one represented one of the five elements. He threw the first one, fire, and it exploded but it did nothing. The second one, water, created a large sphere of water over the vampires head with the means of drowning him, but what use would that be to a man who doesn't need to breathe in order to survive? The third one was wind and it created a miniature storm that would prove worthless. The fourth was earth and when he used it large spikes made of stone formed above Neclord's head, and when they dropped it was if they went right through him. The last scroll was lightening; Kahn tossed it above the vampire and it produced an electrostatic dome that would, under normal circumstances, fry anyone within it. But those weren't normal circumstances, and he was no normal person. When the dome subsided, Neclord stood there unharmed, still laughing at the Marley boy's attempts.

The DeVilles had made their way into the catacombs. With no means for a torch, Marcellus tapped his staff on the floor twice and following the last tap the crystal sitting at the top of his silver staff began to emit a bright light that would guide their way. Unlike the Marley boy, they did not stop to admire the beautiful engravings on the wall. It wasn't because they haven't already heard the story – they have actually, it was a story told in many of the churches they frequented since arriving in Harmonia – but it was because they needed to find them. They saw what that demon could do and they worried for the safety of the other hunters. They wouldn't run, however, they walked at a fast pace but they wouldn't run. They did not know what to expect in the darkened depths of the catacombs, but they hoped that it would not be the body of the nineteen year old apprentice vampire hunter. They would continue to keep a steady pace until they heard a large thud – or maybe it was a boom – coming from far inside. The disruption caused the dirt and rocks to fall to the ground from the walls. They knew where to go, so they rushed to it praying for good news.

Marceline reached the room first, followed by her brother, and she witnessed a side of Kahn that she had never seen before, and if the Marley boy was asked, he had never seen that side of him himself. He charged at the demon lord at full force, futile swing after futile swing. He didn't know if he would be able to defeat him, but he knew that if he were to die he'd at least try to take him down with him. He would swing, miss, and Neclord would laugh and mock him. This continued for a few seconds before the Marley boy did something to anger the vampire lord. One of his swings connected, it did nothing to him, but he connected across his cheek not even breaking skin. It was enough, however, to convince Neclord that it was time to end the games he was playing with the last remaining Marley.

He sent the Marley boy flying backwards with a shockwave similar to the one he hit Marcellus with earlier. Kahn landed on his feet, surprisingly, and charged towards Neclord once more. His momentum was cut off when Neclord raised his right hand above his head and his dark red eyes appeared as if they were almost glowing. He quickly jerked his arm in the direction of the Marley boy, conjuring a crescent-shaped blade that shot at Kahn in full speed. It was like he was using some variation of the wind rune, Marcellus thought, so he stepped in. He used his earth rune to conjure himself up five walls of defense, each lined behind the other. The crescent blade easily sliced through them and if it weren't for Marcellus' quick thinking, they would have sliced through the Marley boy as well. Marcellus ran and pushed Kahn out of the way and extended his hands in front of him. Using his cyclone rune he manipulated the air current around in front of him creating an invisible force field that absorbed the crescent blade when it hit it.

"Get him out of here!" Marcellus yelled without turning around. He fell to his knees, using too much of his magic that night, panting and losing his sight ever so slightly. The Marley boy put up a fight. He yelled and screamed for Marceline to let him go, but he was ill prepared for just how strong the female twin was. Under normal circumstances this would please him; he would make a comment, a joke – an inappropriate gesture and await the slap that he had earned, but not tonight. Tonight he was unable to think of anything but the sight of his father dying before his very eyes and the blood he predicted he'd drain from the person responsible. He wouldn't be able to, not with the two of them in his way. This was the first time that he had ever wished they did not follow him, the first time that he thought about how things would have been if he did not save them in Wiese. He did not regret their friendship, he meant more to him than he could possibly tell them, but he needed them gone just for tonight.

Marcellus had grown just a bit. The old Marcellus would have wanted to fight Neclord right alongside the Marley boy, but he knew it would not work out in his favor. He needed a way to grant himself and the others a chance to escape, but how? Oh! He suddenly remembered the run given to him no longer than a week ago: the Resurrection Rune. Neclord couldn't have possibly known what the male twin was thinking, but he knew he was up to something and he had grown tired of entertaining the three of them. Doubled over as if he had a stomach ache and his body morphed into a colony of bats that rushed towards the team with the intent of killing them. Marcellus was prepared for this as he raised his hands above his head and summoned eight pillars of light that entrapped the bats within them. He couldn't move, the attack did not hurt him – much to Marcellus' surprise – but he could not move and that was enough. Marcellus ran back towards his sister and the Marley boy, who still struggled to release himself from Marceline's grasp, and gave Kahn no choice but to run with them, away from the old cathedral.

-o0o-

The sun would make its presence known in only a few hours and the team had finally made it back to the inn within Morton City. Lilith, who now would much rather be referred to as Emily waited for them inside their room. She thanked them for everything and told them, ensured them that the young girl would be taken care of. Normally children like her would be sent to the orphanage, but she would plead with her mother to adopt her so that she could have a little sister. She also thanked them for showing her, inadvertently, that she had a good home and a good family and that she should cherish that because there are plenty of people out there who have no one. She should be grateful for she was lucky to have a loving mother to butt heads with and a beautiful home to lie her head down at night. Those were her words.

Kahn said nothing the entire journey back to the inn and this worried Marceline. Marcellus, however, knew exactly what the Marley boy was thinking and that is why he sent Marceline to their room so he could speak to Kahn alone. It started off a tad hostile, the Marley boy held back tears as he threatened Marcellus much like Marcellus threatened him, but Marcellus knew that those threats were empty and directed towards the wrong person. "You had no right!" Kahn yelled as loudly as he possibly could. "You shouldn't have stopped me! I had everything under –"

"Under what, Marley? Control? Is that what you call that?" While his tone sounded as if he were mocking Kahn, he surely wasn't. He knew exactly how he felt.

"That is none of your damned business! I would see him suffer for what he did to my family!" He got up and approached the door, fully intending on pursuing Neclord. Marcellus stopped him, blocking the doorway.

"Lay down your arms, Marley boy, or you will see yourself an early grave." There was a hint of concern in his voice, this proved shocking to the recipient of the message. "You don't want to do this, not like this."

"Then what would you have me do!?"

"We do this the right way – all of us."

"And what good would that do!?"

"It's better than you going in alone! Your father had plans, they're all here." He handed the Marley boy a large book he found amongst the carnage. "I want him dead, you want him dead, Marceline would take joy in putting him in his grave – let us help you. Let us do this the right way." Kahn had no words; he looked around almost as if still looking for a way around Marcellus. "Your father would love to see you again, no doubt, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to see you so soon like this. We will find him and we will make him pay."

Kahn choked, half laughing and half crying. "That's what you said to me when we first met, remember?"

"I meant it back then, and I still do now." The Marley boy had no objections, no one-liners, no jokes – he had nothing left to say. Tears began to form in his eyes and he stepped closer to the male twin, a little too close for comfort according to Marcellus. "You're…not going to kiss me, are you?" He asked very concerned. Kahn laughed and pulled Marcellus in for a much needed hug. It was their first and Marcellus hoped that it would be their last.

"Thank you…" He fought back the tears just long enough to say that. "Do you mind if I spend tonight alone?"

"Sure thing; if you need either of us, you knew where to find us." He wanted to mock him like he would normally, to say something funny or mean or something that showed the Marley boy that things were still the same – to give him some kind of comfort, but he couldn't. He felt everything the Marley boy was feeling just a few weeks ago and he couldn't bring himself to rob Kahn of that moment of mourning. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he'll make him laugh, he'll annoy him, and he'll try to get things back to their definition of normal. He left the Marley to cry alone just as he requested. He would have been there for him, lent him his shoulder, but he knew it wasn't his place to insist.

The next morning came slower than they could have imagined; probably because no one had gotten any real sleep. Marcellus tossed and turned and so did his sister. When he woke up, she was already out of bed, probably checking on the Marley boy. It was her turn, he thought, Kahn liked her much better and this will be the day – and the only day that he wouldn't give him a hard time for that. She stood outside his door and waited for the right moment to knock. What would she say? How would she say it? How would she start? Should she be the first to bring it up? She couldn't believe she was rehearsing the conversation in her head before she even knocked on his door. She felt silly, but it was necessary. No one knows how to approach someone after losing someone they loved, so there definitely wasn't a manual on how to approach someone after they lost everyone they held dear to them. She took a deep breath and she knocked.

The door was already opened and the Marley boy was not inside. His bed was made; did the maids make his bed and all of his belongings were gone as well and his father's books. The only thing left in his room was a note that he left on the desk. Marceline didn't read it; she didn't give herself the chance to before screaming at the top of her lungs for her brother who came rushing in as if the building was on fire. She pointed at the note as she tried to fight back the tears forming in her eyes, and although they both knew what it said, he picked it up and read it anyway. "I'm sorry" was the only thing written on the note. Kahn had left them to pursue the vicious vampire, Neclord on his own. Consumed with some much rage and hatred, he thought it was best to go about his journey alone without friends, without the DeVilles, without anyone to hold him back. Marceline looked upon her brother and when he looked back at her, she knew exactly what he was thinking: they would never see the Marley boy again, and maybe they were right.


End file.
